PSA campaign to urge residents to get tested for STDs

By: SARAH WILKINS - Staff Writer
Syphilis cases up 200 percent since 2003, authorities say | Thursday, February 14, 2008 10:35 PM PST ∞

SAN DIEGO COUNTY ---- Faced with a disturbing rise in reported cases of syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases, San Diego County health officials are launching a public awareness campaign urging residents to get tested for STDs.

The campaign, including TV and radio spots, will warn of the dangers of syphilis, which has seen an increase of nearly 200 percent in the county over the last five years, county Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said during a Valentine's Day news conference in San Diego.

"Many people don't know they have this disease. Getting tested is key," Wooten said.

Cases of syphilis ---- a potentially fatal disease that can cause damage to the internal organs, paralysis or dementia ---- spiked from 109 in 2003 to 312 in 2007, authorities said.

Other sexually transmitted diseases have shown lesser increases: chlamydia cases jumped 25 percent ---- from 10,249 cases in 2003 to 12,796 cases in 2007 ---- and gonorrhea went up 22 percent, from 1,972 cases in 2003 to 2,403 in 2007.

Authorities cite multiple reasons for the increase, including peoples' reluctance to speak openly with their doctors concerning sexual behavior, said Terry Cunningham, chief of the HIV, STD and hepatitis branch of county health and human services.

The disease is also spread by people who do not practice safe sex, he said.

Syphilis may be difficult to diagnose because its signs and symptoms ---- including rash and round, painless sores ---- are similar to those of other diseases, health officials said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, syphilis is spread during sexual activity through direct contact with syphilis sores, which occur mainly in the genital areas, but may be seen on the lips and mouth.

The disease may also be spread from pregnant women to their babies, and can result in stillbirth, developmental disorders or death, according to the CDC.

Cunningham said the disease claims a broad range of victims, but the highest frequencies are among men who have sex with other men, and people between the ages of 25 and 45.

In 2006, San Diego County reported the eighth-highest syphilis rate in the country, according to CDC.

Reports include multiple cases of the disease that occurred at San Diego State University last May, prompting health and education officials to urge students to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

Genital sores caused by syphilis can also increase the risk of acquiring HIV by two to five times, according to the CDC. The risk is heightened because the sores can bleed, disrupting the natural barriers that protect against infection and allowing contact with HIV.

In North County, testing is available though the North Coastal Public Health Center, 104 S. Barnes St. in Oceanside. The center can be reached at (760) 967-4401.

Contact staff writer Sarah Wilkins at (760) 740-3524 or swilkins@nctimes.com.

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