High Youth STD Rates Prompt CoCo To Expand Condom Mailer Program

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Contra Costa Health Services is expanding its free home condom distribution program for teens as sexually transmitted disease rates continue to rise in Contra Costa and across the Golden State.

STD rates among 15- to 19-year-olds are increasing, though teen pregnancy rates have continued to decline over the past decade. More than 2,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported in people ages 15 to 24 in 2018, the most recent year for which Centers for Disease Control & Prevention statistics are readily available.

Contra Costa ranked 14th among California's 58 counties when it came to gonorrhea rates that year. The county ranked 20th in chlamydia rates and 24th in syphilis rates.

Rates of these STDS have risen dramatically in Contra Costa and beyond in recent years, said Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Christ Farnitano in a news release from the county health agency. Communities of color and youth have been disproportionately impacted, said Senior Director of Programs at Essential Access Health Sergio Morales in the news release.

The distribution is made possible through the Condom Access Project, which allows teens and young adults to receive free and confidential condom deliveries to their home as often as once per month, according to the county. The service has distributed more than 753,000 condoms thus far.

Alameda and San Francisco counties also work with the Condom Access Project, which is funded by the CDC through the state Department of Public Health, according to the county.

State law dictates that teens do not need parental consent to access health information and services such as condoms, according to the county. Research shows that making contraceptives available does not increase sexual activity or risk-taking, according to the county.

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