Hollister
– In 2006, the number of reported cases of sexually transmitted
diseases in San Benito County remained well below the state
average, but health officials warn that many cases still go
undiagnosed and untreated.
Hollister – In 2006, the number of reported cases of sexually transmitted diseases in San Benito County remained well below the state average, but health officials warn that many cases still go undiagnosed and untreated.
According to San Benito County Health and Human Services, the reported cases of chlamydia increased in the county from 2005, while the number of cases of gonorrhea decreased dramatically.
Chlamydia continues to be the most frequently reported STD in San Benito County, with 131 cases in 2006. In 2005, there were 109 reported cases. The number of cases here has fluctuated between 100 and 150, over the past five years.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chlamydia is the most commonly reported communicable disease in the United States.
While chlamydia cases were up in 2006, San Benito County saw a significant drop in reported cases of gonorrhea, with19 cases reported, according to Health and Human Services. That’s down from 52 cases in 2005.
Despite this decrease, overall, reports of STDs have increased in San Benito County over the past decade.
“San Benito seems to be following the same trend as in California in general, with a slow but steady increase,” said Sharon Greenberg, the public affairs coordinator for Planned Parenthood in San Benito and Santa Clara counties.
Although San Benito echoes California in the trend, the rate of cases here remains lower than the state average for both chlamydia and gonorrhea.
In San Benito County there was a rate of 224 cases of chlamydia per 100,000 people compared with 364 in the state for 2005, the most recent year recorded. For gonorrhea, the county saw a rate of 33 incidences per 100,000 people, compared with 96 in the state.
Despite the encouraging statistics, health officials warn that the statistics only show a sliver of the problem. Many forms of sexually transmitted diseases go untreated and unreported because people do not know the signs and do not get tested.
“I think a lot of people are afraid to get tested. It’s a humility thing,” said Mishel Thomas, a nurse at Hazel Hawkins Community Health Clinic.
Thomas said some sexually transmitted diseases show few physical symptoms or none at all.
“You can go many years without showing signs, so you pass it onto others,” Thomas said.
Many common STDs, such as herpes and human papillomavirus – the STD which can cause genital warts or cervical cancer – are not tracked at the local or national level.
Greenberg said many of these sexually transmitted diseases are serious problems in San Benito County as well as the rest of the state.
“Herpes and HPV are really very prevalent. It’s quite a large percentage of people who are exposed,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg said the best way to fight STDs is education, both about the diseases themselves, and about methods of prevention.
“We always encourage people to be tested if they’re sexually active,” Greenberg said.
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. You can reach her at 831.637.5566 ext. 336 or at aj**@fr***********.com.
