King County budget cuts could hamper sexually transmitted disease control, officials say

KING COUNTY, WA – Some people of color and men who have sex with men (MSM) in King County are at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to a new report by Public Health – Seattle & King County’s STD Control program.

The 2007 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Epidemiology report, available on line atwww.kingcounty.gov/health/std,describes trends and addresses current challenges for sexually transmitted infections in the county, particularly chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

African American and Native American women who live in King County have a much higher chance of getting sexually transmitted diseases than their white counterparts. For example, the rate of new cases of gonorrhea was 13.9 times and 8.4 times higher among African American and Native American women, respectively than among white women.

Among MSM, the estimated rates of gonorrhea, chlamydia and early syphilis were 13.1, 3.3, and 1,321 times higher, respectively, than among heterosexuals.

“This report shows where more work needs to be done, as some communities are bearing a larger burden of sexually transmitted diseases,” said David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health –Seattle & King County. “Lack of access to diagnosis and treatment services may be one of the underlying reasons for this health gap.”

Public Health’s STD Control program works to detect STDs in the community and get people treated, both to avoid serious long-term health consequences for individuals but also to prevent the spread of illness in the community.

The STD Control program is the community’s leader in monitoring STDs, notifying sexual partners so they can get treated, providing guidance to health care providers for treatment, supporting testing for STDs, and providing testing and treatment services directly through its clinic.

In 2007, the Public Health STD Clinic at Harborview had 12,858 clinic visits for STD services.

Budget impacts

The STD Control Program faces Public Health budget challenges for 2009 that would jeopardize its effective work in testing, treating and reducing local transmission of STDs. Proposed reductions would have serious impacts on the health of the community by eliminating 1,000 sexually transmitted disease (STD) visits at Division of Youth Services and 3,330 annual clinical visits for STDs among family planning patients at Columbia Health Center.

This cut will impact low income communities, since nearly all program clients are poor. Many clients are teens and women of color who historically have experienced higher rates of STDs and are at higher risk for unintended pregnancy.

As proposed by King County Executive Ron Sims, these serious reductions would be placed in a funding lifeboat with support until June 2009, giving time for the state legislature to provide funding options for local Public Health. For more information on proposed STD and other Public Health budget reductions, visit www.kingcounty.gov/health/budget.

Additional report highlights

• Chlamydia prevalence is stable and it remains the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease, with the highest rates of reported infection observed among young women.Chlamydia prevalence among King County women ages 15-24 was 5.9% in 2007, similar to the 5.6% measured in 2006.       

• Gonorrhea in King County fell 29% from 2006 to 2007, from 108 per 100,000 persons to 77 per 100,000. The decline was observed among heterosexual men and women as well as among men who have sex with men (MSM).Reported gonorrhea incidence among women in King County is now similar to that of women in other Washington state counties, and is substantially lower than that among women ages 15-29 nationally.
    The rate of early syphilis remains stable, at 11 per 100,000 persons in 2007, from 10 per 100,000 in 2006. Early syphilis continues to be concentrated primarily in the MSM community in King County, particularly among MSM who are HIV positive.

Background on STDs

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD, with about three million people infected in the United States each year. Chlamydia can be easily cured with antibiotics. Without treatment, chlamydia may spread inside the body and cause serious illness in women and men.

Gonorrhea is a very common STD, with about 500,000 to 600,000 new cases each year in the United States. Gonorrhea can be easily cured with antibiotics. Without treatment, gonorrhea may spread inside the body and cause serious illness in women and men.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is curable with antibiotics. The rate of syphilis among the general population in the United States has been relatively low for many years with about 33,000 new cases annually. Untreated, syphilis progresses through four stages: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary (late). Treatment stops the infection, but if organ damage has already occurred, the damage cannot be repaired.

For more information on STDs and treatment options, visit www.kingcounty.gov/health/std.