Youth STDs higher than reported

By LARRY PARSONS

Herald Staff Writer

Article Last Updated: 10/10/2007 Sexually transmitted diseases among young people go mostly unreported, a hidden epidemic that obscures up to 8,500 cases a year in Monterey County with a treatment cost of $7 million, a statewide report says.

The study by the Public Health Institute of Oakland estimates that STD cases among Californians 15 to 24 years old are more than 10 times higher than those that are reported.

"We only see the tip of the iceberg," said Dr. Lisa Hernandez, deputy county health officer.

There are a number of reasons for the difference between the estimated number of STD cases and those reported for people in that age group, Hernandez said. Some STDs are not reported. Others go undiagnosed because they don't have symptoms, while others are undetected because people — especially young people — don't have regular medical checkups.

"People don't talk about it," Hernandez said. "It's not a topic of conversation at the dinner table or with friends, with family members, with children or with doctors.

"Symptoms often are not reported or not diagnosed," she said.

The study was based on 2005 figures and relied on a statistical method developed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Dr. Petra Jerman of the institute's Center for Research on Adolescent Health and Development. The results probably would be the same for more recent figures, she said.

The study looked at eight STDs — chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes,

HPV, hepatitis B, trichomoniasis and HIV — of which only five are required to be reported to the state.

"A great chunk of STDs are not reportable," Jerman said. "We were all quite surprised by the numbers."

She said the extremely large number of STDs that remain under the radar underscores the need for more money and resources for "additional primary prevention."

The study reflects a need to increase health-care access to young people in an age group in which many probably skip regular checkups because they feel healthy or don't have health insurance, Hernandez said.

"They are busy providing basic stuff like food and shelter and not necessarily thinking about health-care maintenance," she said. "And a lot of STDs are (without symptoms)."

The study points to the need for more education about STDs, Hernandez said. Abstinence-based sex education, she said, may not even cover sexually transmitted diseases.

"We all have to work together. Part is reporting, part is getting people into care, and part is increasing access," Hernandez said.

The study underscores the need for young people to use safe sex practices. Hernandez said young people should have frank conversations with their doctors about STDs.

The institute said the study would be used by state and local policymakers to review their STD prevention programs and resources. The study was financed by a grant from the California Wellness Foundation.

Larry Parsons can be reached at 646-4379 or lparsons@montereyherald.com.

The study on STDs by the Public Health Institute can be viewed at teenbirths.phi.org/.

Go to our Web site to view the entire study on sexually transmitted diseases.

---

The high cost of STDs among youths in Monterey County 66,691 Population of 15- to 24-year-olds in Monterey County 8,494 Estimated new cases of STDs for that age group in Monterey County $7 Million Total direct medical costs of STDs for that age group in Monterey County Source: Public Health Institute

---

Copyright Issues?