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MINNESOTA: "STD Rate Keeps Rising
in State" |
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STD cases rose in
Minnesota in 2007, as they have every year since 1996. Last year, over
17,000 cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were recorded, a 3.8
percent increase over 2006.
In 2007, state health figures show the most common STD, chlamydia, rose by
3.7 percent. Among black people, the number of
chlamydia cases grew by 5.2
percent. State health officials said the bacterial infection is now found in
1,871 out of every 100,000 African Americans.
The recent tabling of a bill to provide $1.3 million in state funds for STD
testing and education means that next year's numbers are likely to continue
the decade-long rise in infections. Other measures to boost treatment and
sex education are pending in the Legislature.
"If we don't do something, we know we are in big trouble down the road,"
said Fred Evans of Seen on Da' Streets, a north Minneapolis-based STD
outreach program for teenage boys and young men. Evans, like many health
experts, believes the only effective way to stop the epidemic is educating
young people.
Surveys of high school seniors and college students in the state show half
and three-fourths respectively are sexually active. But public health
experts say many of these young people do not know how STDs are transmitted
or do not believe they could become infected.
"They are far more concerned about pregnancy prevention than STD
protection," said Kathy Wick, director of Dakota County Public Health.
Lawmakers are considering whether to require all state schools to provide
sex education, beginning with abstinence and then moving on to STDs and
contraception, to seventh- through 12th-graders. A similar bill passed the
House and Senate last year only to be withdrawn when Gov. Tim Pawlenty
threatened to veto it. |
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Star
Tribune (03.31.08):: Josephine Marcotty
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We are providing the above information as a public
service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay
media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases
does not constitute endorsement. The above summaries were prepared
without conducting any additional research or investigation into the
facts and statements made in the articles being summarized, and
therefore readers are expressly cautioned against relying on the
validity or invalidity of any statements made in these summaries. This
CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News
Update also includes information from CDC and
other government agencies, such as background on MMWR articles, fact
sheets and announcements. |
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