Maryland Among STD Capitals Of U.S.

MARYLAND — The number of Americans contracting sexually transmitted diseases is on target to reach epidemic levels this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The highest number ever of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases — more than 2 million — was reported across the nation, the CDC says.

While all three can be cured with antibiotics, if they are not diagnosed and go untreated, they can have serious health consequences, including infertility, pelvic pain, organ damage, life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, neurological deterioration, stillbirth in infants and increased risk for HIV transmission.

"Increases in STDs are a clear warning of a growing threat," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. "STDs are a persistent enemy, growing in number, and outpacing our ability to respond."

Cases of all three sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, have increased for the first time since 2006, data released by the CDC in April show.

Maryland has one of the highest rates of syphilis in the United States, according to the data.

Syphilis can start as a painless sore that appears three weeks after exposure to an infected person and heals on its own within three to six weeks, officials say. If left untreated, syphilis can go on to cause a rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever and damage to the heart, brain, nerves, eyes, joints, bones, liver and blood vessels, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Those with the greatest risk are people ages 15 to 24 and men who have sex with men, data shows.

The states with the highest syphilis rates are as follows, with Maryland tied for No. 4:

• D.C. has 26.7 cases per 100,000 people
• Georgia has 9.5 cases per 100,000 people
• California has 7.8 cases per 100,000 people
• Maryland and Louisiana have 7.4 cases per 100,000 people
• Florida has 7.2 cases per 100,000 people
• New York and Texas have 6.3 cases per 100,000 people
• Illinois has 6.2 cases per 100,000 people
• Arkansas has 5.9 cases per 100,000 people

Officials said the majority of cases occurred among men who have sex with men. There was also a 36 percent increase in rates of syphilis among women and a 28 percent rise in syphilis among newborns, a condition known as congenital syphilis.

More than 600 cases of congenital syphilis were reported in 2016, which has resulted in more than 40 deaths and severe health complications among newborns. The disease is preventable through routine screening and timely treatment for syphilis among pregnant women.

"Every baby born with syphilis represents a tragic system's failure," said Gail Bolan, director of CDC's Division of STD Prevention. "All it takes is a simple STD test and antibiotic treatment to prevent this enormous heartache and help assure a healthy start for the next generation of Americans."

Men who have sex with men make up a majority of syphilis cases and half of those diagnosed with syphilis were also living with HIV – pointing to the need to integrate STD and HIV prevention and care services, Bolan said. Because of environmental, social and cultural factors, officials say this population has difficulty accessing quality health care, which is contributing to the higher STD rate.

Syphilis rates increased by nearly 18 percent overall from 2015 to 2016, according to the CDC's annual Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report.

Of the 2 million new STD diagnoses in 2016, the majority — 1.6 million — were chlamydia cases, the report said. It can have no symptoms but may present through discharge, burning while urinating, pain, rectal bleeding or swollen testicles. It can cause serious, permanent damage to a woman’s reproductive system.

Washington, D.C., reported the highest rate of chlamydia with 1,083 per 100,000 people. Top states in order are Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Delaware and Arkansas.

Maryland was No. 17 for chlamydia, with a rate of 510.4 cases per 100,000 people and a total of 30,658 cases reported in 2016.

There were 470,000 gonorrhea cases nationally in 2016, according to the CDC. Most who are infected do not have symptoms or may mistake them for a bladder infection. Especially prevalent among those 15 to 24 years old, it can cause infections in the genitals, rectum and throat.

Gonorrhea cases increased by 18.5 percent from 2015 to 2016. While both men and women were affected, the steepest increases were seen among men and research suggests that a large share of new gonorrhea cases are occurring among men who have sex with men.

The increase in gonorrhea cases is particularly alarming in light of the growing threat of drug resistance to the last remaining recommended gonorrhea treatment, said Bolan.

The CDC's Antibiotic Resistance Lab in Maryland is working on a pilot program to identify outbreaks of gonorrhea and develop alternative treatments.

SEE ALSO: 'Nightmare Bacteria' Found In Maryland, CDC Reports

Mississippi led the country in cases of gonorrhea (239 per 100,000 people) followed by Louisiana, Georgia, Alaska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina and Delaware.

Maryland was No. 16, with a rate of 158.5 people per 100,000 affected and a total of 9,523 cases of gonorrhea in 2016.

April is national STD Awareness Month, and the CDC has several ways people and providers can participate.

Individuals are encouraged to talk about STDs with their partners and to get tested. Ways to reduce the risk of getting and transmitting STDs are using protection, practicing abstinence or reducing the number of partners.

Find a testing site using this CDC resource locator.

The CDC is also recommending that the federal government step in and assist states in their efforts to combat the epidemic, which now costs more than $16 billion to treat.

The CDC has issued the following recommendations:

• Improve diagnosis and treatment of pregnant women and ensure prompt treatment of newborns at birth in the 10 states hardest hit by congenital syphilis.
• Rapidly test for drug-resistant gonorrhea and treat affected individuals, as part of the federal government's Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (CARB) Action Plan.
• Integrate STD prevention into care for people living with HIV.

At the same time, the CDC is appealing to state health departments to refocus their resources on STD investigation and services to rapidly detect and treat people living in the areas hardest hit by the STD epidemic.

The agency also is urging health-care providers to make STD screenings and treatments a standard part of medical care, especially for pregnant women and men who have sex with men. It's now or never, said Mermin.

"We have reached a decisive moment for the nation," said Mermin. "STD rates are rising, and many of the country's systems for preventing STDs have eroded. We must mobilize, rebuild and expand services — or the human and economic burden will continue to grow."

— By Patch editors D'Ann Lawrence White and Elizabeth Janney

Image via Shutterstock.