The variety of sexually transmitted infections has spiked across the Big Apple, disturbing latest data from town’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shows.
The gonorrhea rate is up 11% amongst men and the syphilis rate has skyrocketed a staggering 36% amongst women, in response to the 2022 Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance Report, released Tuesday.
Infection rates are particularly concerning for Latest York City’s children.
Women and girls aged between 15 to 24 were five times more more likely to have chlamydia than females in every other age category. Cases in that age group accounted for roughly 58% of all chlamydia diagnoses citywide.
Meanwhile, gonorrhea rates were highest amongst men aged between 25 to 34. The variety of men with rectal chlamydia also increased for the second consecutive yr.
“The info underscores the importance of sexual health support and services,” Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan declared after the discharge of the report.
Health experts say several reasons could account for the rise in case numbers.
The coronavirus pandemic likely kept many Latest York City residents from in search of medical look after possible STIs in 2020 and 2021.
The info released on Tuesday is for the whole thing of 2022 — a yr when many individuals began returning to their health providers for testing and treatment. As testing increased, so did case numbers, meaning there may not necessarily be more infections.
Secondly, the Department’s doctors noted that many communities “face barriers to care,” as evidenced by discrepancies in cases when broken down by race, location and sexual orientation.
For example, syphilis rates have gone up disproportionately amongst Latina/Hispanic and black women, while chlamydia and gonorrhea were present nearly twice as much inside “poverty neighborhoods.”
Meanwhile, the LGBTQ+ community saw nearly twice as many infections per capita compared with their straight counterparts.
“Open access to data is crucial to finally eliminating stubborn health disparities,” said Dr. Joseph Osmundson, clinical assistant professor within the department of biology at Latest York University.
“Now we have a lot work to advertise equitable access to care and delivery of service,” Dr. Vasan added.
A scarcity of condom use may be an element, with Dr. Nima Majlesi, director of medical toxicology at Staten Island University Hospital, recently The Post that public health messages have “de-emphasized” the importance of secure sex in recent times.
“Individuals are using condoms less and fewer ceaselessly,” he declared.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Big Apple, with the information showing some positive trends.
Gonorrhea rates decreased 15% amongst women in Latest York City, while cases of congenital syphilis were also down from 2021.
“Getting tested for STIs is of utmost importance,” said Dr. Sarah Braunstein, assistant commissioner for the Health Department’s Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections. “Knowing your STI status means that you can handle yourself and your sexual partners, get treatment should you need it, and acts as a gateway into longer-term sexual health care.”
The variety of sexually transmitted infections has spiked across the Big Apple, disturbing latest data from town’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shows.
The gonorrhea rate is up 11% amongst men and the syphilis rate has skyrocketed a staggering 36% amongst women, in response to the 2022 Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance Report, released Tuesday.
Infection rates are particularly concerning for Latest York City’s children.
Women and girls aged between 15 to 24 were five times more more likely to have chlamydia than females in every other age category. Cases in that age group accounted for roughly 58% of all chlamydia diagnoses citywide.
Meanwhile, gonorrhea rates were highest amongst men aged between 25 to 34. The variety of men with rectal chlamydia also increased for the second consecutive yr.
“The info underscores the importance of sexual health support and services,” Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan declared after the discharge of the report.
Health experts say several reasons could account for the rise in case numbers.
The coronavirus pandemic likely kept many Latest York City residents from in search of medical look after possible STIs in 2020 and 2021.
The info released on Tuesday is for the whole thing of 2022 — a yr when many individuals began returning to their health providers for testing and treatment. As testing increased, so did case numbers, meaning there may not necessarily be more infections.
Secondly, the Department’s doctors noted that many communities “face barriers to care,” as evidenced by discrepancies in cases when broken down by race, location and sexual orientation.
For example, syphilis rates have gone up disproportionately amongst Latina/Hispanic and black women, while chlamydia and gonorrhea were present nearly twice as much inside “poverty neighborhoods.”
Meanwhile, the LGBTQ+ community saw nearly twice as many infections per capita compared with their straight counterparts.
“Open access to data is crucial to finally eliminating stubborn health disparities,” said Dr. Joseph Osmundson, clinical assistant professor within the department of biology at Latest York University.
“Now we have a lot work to advertise equitable access to care and delivery of service,” Dr. Vasan added.
A scarcity of condom use may be an element, with Dr. Nima Majlesi, director of medical toxicology at Staten Island University Hospital, recently The Post that public health messages have “de-emphasized” the importance of secure sex in recent times.
“Individuals are using condoms less and fewer ceaselessly,” he declared.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Big Apple, with the information showing some positive trends.
Gonorrhea rates decreased 15% amongst women in Latest York City, while cases of congenital syphilis were also down from 2021.
“Getting tested for STIs is of utmost importance,” said Dr. Sarah Braunstein, assistant commissioner for the Health Department’s Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections. “Knowing your STI status means that you can handle yourself and your sexual partners, get treatment should you need it, and acts as a gateway into longer-term sexual health care.”
