New statistics made by the South Dakota Health Department reveal that there has been a considerable increase of gonorrhea cases in South Dakota in the past few years, as well as other sexually transmitted diseases.
According to the most recent statistics, the highest rates of syphilis in the U.S. are in South Dakota. In 2014, Chlamydia cases have also risen 25% from 2013 and the gonorrhea cases in South Dakota have more than doubled since 2009.
Lon Kightlinger, state epidemiologist, believes that the increase of STDs is largely due to social media and the internet. He believes that they have made it easier for people to find sexual partners. Naturally, more insight into the subject is needed to determine if those two factors are indeed behind the rise in STDs in South Dakota and the U.S.
Wendell Hoffman, infectious disease expert at Stanford Health, revealed that fortunately HIV rates haven’t changed much. He also stated that there are now drug-resistant gonorrhea strains in the Sioux Falls region, which require a combination of powerful drugs to be treated.
The spokesperson for Planet Parenthood in the region of South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota, Jen Aulwes, claimed that sex education for young people is a vital component to public health. Critics of sexual education say that it encourages teens to engage earlier in sex, but there has been extensive research that has proved the contrary, it actually encourages teens to delay the beginning of their sex life and it also encourages the practice of safe sex.
Gonorrhea is a very common sexually transmitted disease that can affect both men and women. The signs of the disease appear in the throat, genitals and rectum and include: a burning sensation when urinating, a white, green or yellow discharge from the penis in men and increased vaginal discharge in women, painful or swollen testicles or vaginal bleeding between menses.
In the case of rectal infections, gonorrhea manifests with anal itching, bleeding, soreness and painful bowel movements. It can be cured with the right type of treatment after a visit to your doctor. Still, the damage done by the disease is permanent.
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