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Happy Holidays!
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The NCC and the staff at Partnership for Prevention would like to wish all of you and your families a very happy holiday season and the best of new years!
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Find the NCC on Facebook!
The National Chlamydia Coalition is now on Facebook. To follow the NCC, simply visit our page and click the "like" button. Don't forget to share it with your friends and colleagues! | | |
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Dear Colleague,
Welcome to NCC News. This online newsletter was created to keep you up-to-date on all things chlamydia, and related areas of interest. We hope you will find it useful and informative. Please feel free to share this with your colleagues who also may find it of use. |
 | CDC Survey Finds Widespread Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence in U.S. |
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), based on telephone interviews with more than 16,500 adults in 2010, was recently released. According to the CDC, the report is the first of its kind to provide data on national and state levels. The survey found that, over the course of a year, more than 12 million women and men are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner. One in five, nearly 22 million women, reported being raped or the target of attempted rape during their lifetime. The survey is ongoing and will track trends in sexual violence, stalking and intimate partner violence. Over time, NISVS will be able to create state-level estimates that provide more detailed information about victimization to help inform policies and programs aimed at preventing intimate partner and sexual violence, as well as provide an initial benchmark for tracking the effectiveness of prevention efforts.
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HHS Refuses to Relax Plan B Restrictions
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Earlier this month, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) overruled the FDA's decision to make the morning-after pill, Plan B, available over the counter without age restriction. In 2003, two FDA advisory panels recommended the product be available for everyone to purchase directly off of drug store and supermarket shelves. However, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius concluded that data did not "conclusively establish" that Plan B could be used safely by the youngest girls of reproductive age. As a result of Sebelius's action, girls 16 and younger will still need a doctor's prescription to obtain Plan B. Women 17 and older, with proof of age, will continue to be able to purchase Plan B over the counter. The decision shocked and angered many doctors, health advocates, family-planning activists, lawmakers and others who supported relaxing the restrictions to help women of all ages prevent unintended pregnancies.
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| "Testing Makes Us Stronger" Campaign Launched | |
Black gay and bisexual men are among those hardest hit by
 HIV, accounting for almost a quarter (22%) of all new infections in the U.S. Young, black men who have sex with men (MSM) are the only group in the U.S. among whom new infections are increasing. To address the urgent need to reduce HIV infections among this group, CDC launched Testing Makes Us Stronger™, a new public awareness and education campaign that encourages HIV testing among black MSM aged 18 to 44. Read more about the new campaign on their website.
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| Pediatrics Study: Sexting Not as Common as Previously Thought
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A recent study published in Pediatrics reports that, despite perceptions, sexting among teenagers and adolescents is not as common as many people believe. After conducting telephone interviews with 1,560 children nationwide, the study concl uded that 1 in 10 children aged 10-17 has used a cellphone to send or receive sexually suggestive images; however, only 1 in 100 has sent sexually explicit images considered graphic enough to violate child pornography laws. Few youth reported distributing images. Previous studies estimated that as many as 1 in 5 teenagers engaged in sexting; however, 18 and 19 year olds were included, most likely skewing the data. This study suggests that appearing in, creating, or receiving sexual images is far from being a routine adolescent behavior.
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| Where Infection Rates are High, Young Adults Open to STD and HIV Testing |
A recent study, "STD and HIV Testing Behaviors Among Black and Puerto Rican Young Adults," published in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, examined self-reported STD and HIV testing behaviors and attitudes among 483 sexually active black and Puerto Rican young adults aged 18-25 in Philadelphia and Hartford neighborhoods with high STD rates. The study found that the majority of participants reported that they had been tested for STDs (89%) and HIV (84%) at least once, and most had been tested multiple times. Testing was seen as highly acceptable, especially within serious relationships. However, despite their heightened risk factors, nine in ten reported that their risk of STD infection within the next year was "not at all likely."
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STI Management and Control in North America IUSTI Region
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"STI management and control in North America IUSTI region," recently published in Sexually Transmitted Infections, highlights the importance of testing, treatment, and care of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the U.S. and Canada. In the U.S. there are approximately 19 million new cases of STIs annually, costing $10-17 billion dollars a year, with youth and ethnic minorities bearing much of the burden of infection. The article discusses the importance of developing rational, diagnostic treatment and control strategies. Areas that are paramount for successful control and management include: sexual behavior, behavior modification models, new diagnostics, accurate treatment, vaccine availability and provider/patient education.
For additional information on joining The International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) and what is being done in the North American IUSTI region check out their website. Please note that the 27th IUSTI annual conference will take place in September 2012 in Antalya, Turkey. Registration is currently open.
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The release of CDC's report, Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2010, drew attention to the e stimated 19 million new sexually transmitted infections that occur each year-almost half of them among young people, aged 15 to 24. Rates of some very common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), like chlamydia, continue to rise. Check out this collection of 27 fascinating vintage posters from historical STD intervention programs, profiled by CBS News.
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