Sexually transmitted infection rates on the rise in South Dakota
Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise in South Dakota, according to the South Dakota Department of Health in a yearly infectious disease report.
STIs are infections that can be transferred person-to-person through sexual contact. This includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
Comparing year-to-date data on new cases to the five-year median between 2011 and 2015, it shows chlamydia has risen seven percent to more than 3,500 new cases. This makes chlamydia the most prominent STI in South Dakota. Individuals aged 15-24 account for over half this total. There have been 43 new cases in Clay County. Chlamydia can cause a burning sensation during urination and infertility in women.
Gonorrhea has risen 53 percent to more than 1,000 new cases. Gonorrhea, if left untreated, can spread to joints and heart valves.
HIV (including AIDS) has risen 61 percent to 37 new cases. HIV suppresses your immune system and leaves you susceptible to worse symptoms from other infections and diseases.
Hepatitis-C has risen 82 percent to nearly 600 new cases and can cause liver disease and abdominal pain.
The best way to prevent getting infected with STIs is abstinence, said Melissa Shefl, a certified physician assistant at the Sanford Vermillion Medical Center.
“If you’re not having sex you can’t get infected, but that’s unrealistic. The second-best way to protect yourself is to practice safe sex,” she said. “Condoms, while not 100 percent safe, can help lower your risk of infection.”
Shefl said that gonorrhea and chlamydia are the STIs she sees most often at Sanford in Vermillion.
“They are what we treat most often and they don’t usually have long-standing effects if treated quickly,” she said. “If not treated in a timely manner, they can go on to cause some infertility issues.”
South Dakota isn’t only experiencing higher chlamydia rates but, it’s also becoming a high-risk state for syphilis, Shefl said.
Keith Hansen, a gynecologist with the USD Sanford School of Medicine, said syphilis can cause death if left untreated.
“It’s called the ‘great imitator,’ because it mimics the symptoms of other infections and diseases,” he said.
Hansen said there are more than 20 million new cases of STIs in the U.S. every year.
“Individuals aged 15-24 represent 25 percent of sexually active people, yet account for over half of new infections,” he said.
Hansen said there is a concern for the high chlamydia rates in South Dakota.
“For South Dakota, which is such a small state, to have the rate of chlamydia we have is pretty amazing,” Hansen said.
The best way to help people become better informed is through education, Hansen said.
“We want people to know that unprotected sex really does increase your chance of infection,” he said. “They can be deadly; they can be life-changing. We see people who can’t get pregnant because gonorrhea has wiped out their fallopian tubes.”
Women are more susceptible to the devastating effects of STIs, Hansen said.
“Guys don’t get quite as many bad things from gonorrhea and chlamydia, it tends to have a much worse effect on the fallopian tubes of women,” he said.
There is ongoing research to better understand and treat STIs. Hansen hopes research can lead to cures for all STIs.
“We’re getting to the point where treatment is getting better, and people can live long lives with these devastating infections,” he said. “We hope to one day have cures that will eradicate them.”
While the stigma of STIs can stop people from going to a doctor, this is becoming less common.
“I think people are becoming less stigmatized by it, because it is becoming more common for sexually active people,” Hansen said. “STIs really do increase morbidity, from fallopian tubes being wiped out and cervical cancer to liver damage and pelvic pain. It’s extremely important to protect yourself from these infections.”
Shefl said treatment and education are key to prevention and treatment.
“Never be ashamed to come to a doctor,” Shefl said. “We’re not here to judge, we’re here to treat.”
