SACRAMENTO – (INT) – Fast on the heels of a report that syphilis cases are soaring in Riverside County comes a sobering study that a record number of Californians were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in 2017.

State health officials got reports of more than 300,000 cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and early syphilis, a 45 percent increase compared to five years ago.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea rates are highest among people under age 30. Rates of chlamydia are highest among young women, and males account for the majority of syphilis and gonorrhea cases.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) documented 30 stillbirths due to congenital syphilis. It is the highest number reported in the state since 1995.

In Riverside County, the syphilis rate is about 12 cases per 100,000 population, according to the latest figures. However, the rate for the Coachella Valley is 32 per 100,000, or three-times the Riverside County rate. In Palm Springs that figure is well over 100 cases per 100,000.

If left untreated, chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. Syphilis can cause permanent loss of vision, hearing and other neurologic problems.

Story Date: May 25, 2018