Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, and HIV, are very common – several million cases occur in the U.S. each year. They affect people of all ages and backgrounds and are caused by viruses or bacteria. People generally become infected through unprotected sexual activity with infected partners; however, STDs can also be passed from a pregnant mother to her baby. Many of those infected are teenagers or young adults, and racial and ethnic minorities are often disproportionately affected. Chlamydia is the most frequently reported infectious disease in the United States.
Some STDs, like chlamydia, often have no symptoms. Others have symptoms that depend on the type and severity of the STD and can include pain in the infected areas and sores. Even without symptoms, STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea can lead to infertility in women if left untreated. Additionally, having an untreated STD can make someone more likely to acquire HIV due to physiological changes caused by the infection that make it easier for the virus to enter the body when exposed. Bacterial STDs (chlamydia, gonorrhea) can be treated with antibiotics; viral STDs (genital herpes, HPV, HIV) cannot be cured but can be managed with other medications.
Public health interventions include safe sex education and routine STD screenings to reduce and prevent STD transmission. Monitoring this trend can help public health officials to see whether such prevention programs are working.
This indicator measures the rate of reported occurrences for the three most common STDs per 10,000 residents of Walla Walla County. The three STDs measured are: chlamydia, genital herpes, and gonorrhea. Washington State is offered as a benchmark.