2008 Woodie Awards
Lubbock STDs increase with national trend
Glenys Bolls
Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: News
Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis rates are on the rise across the United States, and Lubbock has followed the trend.
According to the "Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2006" report released Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diagnosis rates for these three sexually transmitted diseases are rising and reaching record numbers in 2006.
The numbers for Lubbock, while not reaching record highs, were significantly higher in 2006 than in 2005, said Tigi Ward, public health coordinator for surveillance at the Lubbock Health Department.
"Our numbers have increased in 2006," she said. "In 2005, we had 1,697 cases. In 2006, we had 1,909. That's all three diseases combined."
The CDC estimates approximately 19 million new infections occur each year, with nearly half of those occurring in people between the ages of 15 and 24 years old.
"No doubt people are having unprotected sex," Ward said. "Some people get re-infected after treatment. They're just not using good decision making."
Chlamydia remains the most commonly reported infectious disease in the country, with 1,030,911 cases diagnosed in 2006 - up nearly 6 percent from 2005's 976,445 diagnosed cases, according to the report. CDC officials estimate the actual rate of chlamydia infection is close to 2.8 million new cases each year.
"Here in my clinic, I haven't seen any change, but then again, all we see are STDs," said Jamie Parker, a registered nurse in the Lubbock Health Department's STD clinic. "You don't notice more or less when that's all you see."
The chlamydia rate for females was three times higher than for males, with 515.8 female cases per 100,000 population compared to 173.0 male cases. The rate was highest in females between the ages of 15 and 19 years old, with 2,862.7 cases per 100,000 people. The second highest rate occurred in females 20 to 24 years old, with 2,797.0 cases per 100,000 people.
"Just based on our numbers here, our male population has higher rates for chlamydia," said Amanda Eldredge, health educator for Student Health Services at Texas Tech, about the numbers in Lubbock "It was relatively low for females."
According to the "Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2006" report released Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diagnosis rates for these three sexually transmitted diseases are rising and reaching record numbers in 2006.
The numbers for Lubbock, while not reaching record highs, were significantly higher in 2006 than in 2005, said Tigi Ward, public health coordinator for surveillance at the Lubbock Health Department.
"Our numbers have increased in 2006," she said. "In 2005, we had 1,697 cases. In 2006, we had 1,909. That's all three diseases combined."
The CDC estimates approximately 19 million new infections occur each year, with nearly half of those occurring in people between the ages of 15 and 24 years old.
"No doubt people are having unprotected sex," Ward said. "Some people get re-infected after treatment. They're just not using good decision making."
Chlamydia remains the most commonly reported infectious disease in the country, with 1,030,911 cases diagnosed in 2006 - up nearly 6 percent from 2005's 976,445 diagnosed cases, according to the report. CDC officials estimate the actual rate of chlamydia infection is close to 2.8 million new cases each year.
"Here in my clinic, I haven't seen any change, but then again, all we see are STDs," said Jamie Parker, a registered nurse in the Lubbock Health Department's STD clinic. "You don't notice more or less when that's all you see."
The chlamydia rate for females was three times higher than for males, with 515.8 female cases per 100,000 population compared to 173.0 male cases. The rate was highest in females between the ages of 15 and 19 years old, with 2,862.7 cases per 100,000 people. The second highest rate occurred in females 20 to 24 years old, with 2,797.0 cases per 100,000 people.
"Just based on our numbers here, our male population has higher rates for chlamydia," said Amanda Eldredge, health educator for Student Health Services at Texas Tech, about the numbers in Lubbock "It was relatively low for females."
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Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 11
*Shrug*
posted 11/14/07 @ 1:33 AM CST
"One in four college students will become infected with an STD by the time they graduate," Eldredge said. "That's very scary, and very real. That's a very real issue for college students. (Continued…)
George Gant
posted 11/14/07 @ 3:01 AM CST
Hey, I just don't get it. Didn't Sex Ed Ainsworth, that Fundamentalist Preacher in Lubbock have the answer to teenage pregnancies and STD's?
All people had to do was give a pledge before God and everyone else that they would abstain from sex until marriage. (Continued…)
gary
posted 11/14/07 @ 9:08 AM CST
The source of Lubbock's STD problem is the liberal college deatocrat Texas Tech students who come here from Houston carrying all their city germs.
Stupid People make me mad
posted 11/14/07 @ 1:01 PM CST
Ok Gary, I think you're being a little dumb. B/c it's not other people that are bringing "germs" as you call it, it's the HIGH SCHOOLS HERE IN LUBBOCK that have the highest STD rates. (Continued…)
gary
posted 11/14/07 @ 10:27 PM CST
ROFLZ!!!!!!
You libbies crack me up. You're always the first to say that STDs happen in church and spread around by the decent folks. Tell me this: When was the last time you walked into a church and saw any STDs? Nope! Never! LOLz!
Now, look at your typical college educated libby. (Continued…)
eddy
posted 3/10/08 @ 3:11 PM CST
i don't think gary is completely wrong. there are a lot of good Christians in Lubbock, but i have known many "Christian" girls whose only goal in life is to prove that one cannot overdose on seamen and Christian men who make fun of virgins. (Continued…)
nathan
posted 3/11/08 @ 4:16 PM CST
yah gary, youre kind of making conservatives look like the idiots that the "libbies" you speak of hack us up to be. why dont you research a little bit and not be so radical in your writing. (Continued…)
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