chlamydia transmission While new cases of HIV have continued to decline, other documented instances of sexually transmitted diseases are on a continuous multi-year rise in San Francisco and across California.

Some local clinics are attempting to combat the spike with additional testing methods for syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia that involve checks of the throat and rectum — steps not currently endorsed as essential by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In an effort set to launch next month, The City’s Magnet Clinic is using a public grant to sign up and notify high-risk individuals that it’s time for their regular checkups. And to underscore the importance of paying attention to a serious issue, the “pilot” messages will go beyond dry medical terminology.

“Syphilis, like the ’80s, is back — especially with guys who bareback,” one potential text will read. “Get to Magnet every three months if condoms aren’t your thing.”

Steve Gibson, director of Magnet Clinic, said the edgy reminders are designed to garner more trust and increase visits from gay men, which The City’s Department of Public Health has identified as the highest-risk group for STDs along with adolescent minorities.

“They’re tailored toward gay men,” Gibson said of the new messages. “In order for people to read it, it has to be relevant to them.”

Susan Philip, the health department’s director of STD prevention, said Magnet and others are key partners for combating this year’s rise in infections, which are outpacing 2011’s already troubling total. According to the most recent data in June, 1,278 cases of gonorrhea have been reported so far this year, compared with 1,015 in the same time period of 2011. The figures for chlamydia are similar, with 2,412 cases this year compared with 2,288 last year.

Total syphilis cases, which are broken into four categories, rose by 100 — from 392 to 492 — in the first half of 2012 compared with the same time period in 2011. Of those cases, Philip said, data show 60 percent are seen in HIV-positive gay men, many of whom find each other and have unprotected sex. While the HIV transmission is moot, syphilis often occurs as a result, Philip said.

The local figures are underscored by recently released California Department of Health data that show syphilis cases increased 18 percent statewide, with 80 percent of those impacted being gay men. Philip said more education is in order.

“We’re really trying to have a comprehensive approach to make sure HIV and STDs are seen as a comprehensive unit,” Philip said. “We do have concerns, and we want the rates to go down.”

chlamydia transmission is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in Finland and the number of reported cases is growing by the year.

Experts say the roughly 14,000 new annual infections are mainly contracted inside the country’s borders. Fifteen years ago, new infections numbered around 9,000.

Pekka Ruuska from the infectious disease unit at Kainuu Central Hospital says men are more likely to notice signs of infection than women, who may mistake symptoms for menstruation cramps. In some women chlamydia can cause complications leading to infertility.

In Finland, the STD is most prevalent among 15-24 year-old women and 20-29 year-old men.

Women are twice as often diagnosed with the disease than men.

chlamydia transmission With Sexual Health Week continuing until Sunday, public health experts are encouraging young people and others to consult their doctor for regular sex health check-ups as well as to continue safe-sex practices.

The key message of this year’s Sexual Health Week from September 17-23 is ‘Check it Out’ with the campaign to particularly focus on targeting the transmission of Chlamydia.

In Sydney, recent figures from the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) Public Health Unit show rates of Chlamydia continue to rise by an average of 15 per cent annually among 16 – 25 year olds in the South Eastern Sydney region.

From 2008 to 2011, Chlamydia notifications in Sydney’s eastern and south eastern suburbs, which include the Botany Bay, Randwick, Sydney, Waverley and Woollahra local government areas, have increased by 34 per cent in males and 30 per cent in females.

Director of Sydney Sexual Health Centre, Dr Anna McNulty, told SX while the increase could be largely put down to greater testing for the STI, notification rates continued to remain high amongst gay men and men who have sex with men.

“This is largely due to increased testing for Chlamydia, but also due to increased Chlamydia notification rates, which are unfortunately still high amongst gay men, and more so, men who have sex with men,” she said.

“Many people who have an STI do not have any obvious symptoms or signs, particularly with Chlamydia, which often has no symptoms.

“Chlamydia is easy to test for with a urine test and, like many STIs, is easily treated with a simple dose of antibiotics. But it is better to have never had it at all. Chlamydia is easily prevented by using condoms,” she said.

“We encourage young people who are sexually active to use condoms and to see their GP, local sexual health clinic or youth health service to check out their sexual health and regularly test for STIs, in particular Chlamydia.”

A number of events will be held in Sydney to coincide with Sexual Health Week. A Safety and Wellness Expo will run at the University of NSW all week featuring live music, demonstrations, stalls, workshops and free giveaways including safe sex packs. Yesterday, a Creative Youth Initiative was held at Surry Hills involving the creation of a mural as well as a music video while Woolloomooloo PCYC hosted a sexual health awareness workshop and training sessions for youth workers.

A Kandiyohi County coalition focused on healthy teen sexuality is turning to the public this fall to help craft a community plan that fosters adolescent health.

One of the main goals is to reduce the local incidence of chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection that has soared to epidemic proportions in Minnesota in recent years.

The first in a series of public meetings will be Monday. Organizers hope to end up with a strategy that can be carried out over at least the next three years.

“We’d like to have a plan that really comes from the community, has a community voice and community support and is well-balanced,” said Deb Schmitzerle, coordinator with Kandiyohi County Public Health of the Coalition for Healthy Adolescent Sexuality.

The initial meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Lakeland Auditorium on the lower level of the Lakeland Health Center building in Willmar.

Meetings will be at 6:30 p.m. the following four Mondays, Oct. 8, Oct. 15, Oct. 22 and Oct. 29, in the Rice Auditorium on the lower level of the Lakeland Health Center.

“We do want anyone in the community who has an interest to know about it,” Schmitzerle said.

Surveys suggest that sexual activity is occurring less often among American adolescents and that more teens are delaying the start of sexual activity. But chlamydia rates are moving in the opposite direction.

chlamydia transmission is now the leading infectious disease reported in Minnesota — nearly 17,000 in 2011, a record number. Almost three-fourths of cases were in teens and young adults aged 15 to 24. Rates in Kandiyohi County are among some of the highest in the state.

Although it’s readily treatable, as many as 75 percent of females and 50 percent of males with the infection go undiagnosed because symptoms often are not evident. Left untreated, chlamydia can unknowingly be spread to other partners and result in infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain. Infected women also can pass the infection to their newborn child, causing premature delivery, infant pneumonia and eye infections that may lead to blindness.

The Kandiyohi County Coalition for Healthy Adolescent Sexuality began working in 2010 with the Minnesota Chlamydia Partnership. More recently, the group also began working with the Minnesota Department of Health to not only reduce the incidence of chlamydia but to promote overall healthy behavior among teens and young adults.

“We are concerned about teens getting pregnant and we are concerned about sexually transmitted diseases,” Schmitzerle said. “But we’re really concerned about all teens and healthy sexuality. Is there something we can do as a community to support young people to be healthy?”

Chlamydia is a main focus because it’s something that can be measured, she said.

But members of the coalition want to take a broad approach that includes social factors and the attitudes and belief systems that help shape health, decisions and behavior.

One of the recommendations issued by the Minnesota Chlamydia Partnership is to use youth development as a chlamydia prevention strategy. The partnership also has called for more widespread chlamydia screening, especially among young women, and a greater emphasis on public health involvement and public policies that promote sexual health among teens and young adults.

A goal of the planning process this coming month will be to test how some of these strategies work at the local level, Schmitzerle said. “That’s what we’re hoping to do — to look at some of these ideas.”

The issue is “very sensitive,” she acknowledged. “These conversations start young and need to continue.”

A SEXUALLY active person can be carrying chlamydia without any symptoms for years until it comes time to reproduce, and that's when they discover they are infertile.

If only they knew a simple urine test, a couple of pills and a condom could make it all go away or stop the infection in the first place.

This year's Sexual Health Week theme - Check it Out - is targeted at 16-25-year-olds, the biggest risk group for the disease.

chlamydia transmission is still the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection (STI) in NSW.

Since 2006, chlamydia notifications in NSW have risen from 12,015 to 20,469 in 2011, with about 60% of notifications in 2011 in the 15-to-25-year age range.

The advice for young people who are sexually active is to visit their doctor regularly to test for sexually transmissible infections and, in particular, chlamydia.

The Northern NSW Local Health District's sexual health staff specialist, Dr Natalie Edmiston, said chlamydia was very common among young people aged under 25.

"If you are sexually active, use condoms and water-based lubricant and see a doctor for a sexual health check-up."

Dr Edmiston said all sexually active young people should consider asking their GP for a chlamydia test at least once a year.

Alternatively, the sexual health clinic at Grafton Base Hospital offers free and confidential sexual health checks for everyone from 8am-4.30pm Monday to Friday.

 As a special offer for Sexual Health Week, the clinic has 50 fun-safe sex packs to give away, each containing a flavoured condom, lubricant, information and a tin carry pack.