Dramatic STD Spike in DuPage County

WHEATON, IL — Over the past 15 years, there has been a dramatic increase in sexually transmitted diseases reported in DuPage County according to the DuPage County Health Department. The report showed that cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia have risen sharply between 2000 and 2015.

• There were 2,382 cases of chlamydia reported in 2015, which is a 221 percent increase from just 732 cases in 2000.
• 42 cases of syphilis were reported in 2015, a 425 percent increase from 2000, when syphilis was almost non-existent.
• Gonorrhea cases were up by 50 percent in 2015 to more than 300 reported cases.

This acute increase in STDs in DuPage County reflects an overall national trend, especially with the considerable uptick in cases of syphilis. Throughout DuPage County and Illinois, chlamydia is the most common “notifiable disease” and it occurs most frequently in patients age 15-24. This age group accounted for 64 percent of reported chlamydia cases in DuPage County. Chlamydia cases in women were the majority — more than half of the cases reported were females.

The DuPage County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge sexually active persons and their partners to get screened and to use condoms to help prevent the transmission of STDs. Be sure to talk to your partner or partners about their sexual history.

DuPage County Health Department also offers free STD testing for persons 18 and under. The health centers’ confidential testing can detect syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, HPV, HIV and hepatitis C. Each center also offers treatment for STDs and walk-ins are welcome. April is Sexually Transmitted Diseases Awareness month, so now’s the perfect time to get tested if you’ve been putting it off.

Central Public Health Center
111 North County Farm Road
Wheaton, IL 60187
Mondays from 2:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Southeast Public Health Center
422 North Cass Avenue
Westmont, IL 60559
Third and Fourth Tuesday of each month, 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

>>Health center information from the DuPage County Health Department

>>Image via Pixabay