The release of the Year to Date 2010 Morbidity Report for Tuolumne County revealed a startling 109 reported cases of chlamydia in the calendar year.
“We’ve been tackling the problem with increases in sexually transmitted illnesses for a number of years,” said Tuolumne County Health Officer Dr. Todd Stolp said.
The majority of the 109 cases reported were high school aged females, Stolp said. Males tend not to get screened for sexually transmitted infections as often, due to the fact that they typically do not present symptoms, he said. Forty-four cases of chlamydia were reported in Calaveras County in the 2010 calendar year. Eighty percent of cases reported were female, while 30 percent were girls under age 18, according to Dr. Dean Kelaita, Calaveras County’s public health officer. “The peak occurrence of chlamydia for a number of years has been different for the two genders. for females, it peaks around age 17. for males, peak occurs around age 25,” Stolp said. since the bacteria initially infects the cervix, which is not fully matured in teenage girls and young women, they are more susceptible to infection if sexually active, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Chlamydia is the most common cause of female sterility (if untreated). it does have a very significant role in our lives and health,” Stolp said. Testing for STDs has become more accessible in the last five years, according to Stolp, who said that the health van that goes to all the schools in the county has been a useful tool in helping identify several cases among high school students as a result. The Tuolumne County Health Department continues to make confidential screening available as well, he said. Although chlamydia can be easily treated and cured by administering antibiotics once diagnosed, CDC recommends annual screening for sexually active women age 25 and younger to prevent further complications from developing. “We’ve seen a continual rise (in the spread of chlamydia) not just in California, but across the U.S., which is why we’ve tried to increase awareness,” Stolp said.