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What the Syphilis Organism Looks Like Under a Darkfield Microscope
Syphilis in Bexar County
On August 14, The City of San Antonio's Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) presented a report to the community about the increased numbers of syphilis cases that San Antonio is experiencing. In just 1 year, from 2011 to 2012, there was a 73% increase in the number of early-stage syphilis cases reported in Bexar County. Counting the last 13 years (from 2000 to 2012), there has been an astonishing 376% increase in the number of early-stage cases.
Syphilis is a bacterial infection transmitted by sexual contact, and it has both early and late stages. The early stages may show sores or rashes (or no symptoms at all). Untreated, syphilis can go on to late-stage disease, potentially causing severe damage to the cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as other parts of the body. The treatment for syphilis is the antibiotic penicillin, which cures the infection. However, curing the infection cannot repair the late-stage damage, so early treatment is vital.
Of particular concern, syphilis can affect a fetus in the womb, causing birth defects, illness in the newborn -- even stillbirth and death. The number of cases of congenital syphilis in Bexar County jumped from 8 in 2011 to 18 in 2012, more than doubling the rate in a single year.
In order to deal with this urgent situation, Metro Health recommends that every pregnant woman receive 3 screenings for syphilis, rather than the usual 2: once on entry into prenatal care; once at the beginning of the 3rd trimester (about 28 weeks); and once at the time of delivery. Metro Health encourages pregnant women to "Ask for 3, Protect Your Baby".
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Family Planning in the New Texas Budget
Texas will have an estimated $200 million in 2014-2015 to provide low-income women with family planning preventive care services. This is good news because it means that the funding is in place to restore access to preventive care for all the women who lost access in 2011.
Stacey Pogue of the Center for Public Policy Priorities lays out the details in her recent brief: The 2013 Texas Legislature dramatically increased funding for women's preventive services, appropriating $174 million of state funding. An additional $26 million in federal Title X grants will come to Texas through a private network of clinics led by the Women's Health and Family Planning Association of Texas. The $200 million 2-year total will mean that funds are available to provide family planning to the same number of women who received services before the 2011 funding cuts.
The devastating cuts to the Texas Family Planning Program in 2011 severely damaged the women's healthcare safety net. At least 56 clinics (two-thirds of which were not Planned Parenthood clinics) closed, and 147,000 women lost access to check-ups, cancer and other screenings, and birth control.
With funding levels restored, Texas now has the challenge of ensuring that there is the capacity to serve the need. Rebuilding the safety net will take time, and Planned Parenthood clinics -- which provided much of the care in the past -- are excluded from participating in the state-funded programs. The Department of State Health Services (DSHS)'s new Primary Health Care Expansion must ramp up quickly, with adequate focus on family planning services. And, even if all goes well, this restoration of funding levels only gets Texas back to being able to serve about one-third of the need.
The Healthy Futures Alliance (HFA), a member of the Texas Women's Healthcare Coalition, was active in the 2013 Legislative Session advocating for this restoration of funding. The many members, friends, and supporters of these coalitions worked hard to support access to preventive care for low-income Texas women, so that they can plan their families, have healthy pregnancies, and overcome poverty.
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Welcome, Gaby!
Healthy Futures of Texas is delighted to welcome Gabriella (Gaby) Martinez to our staff. Gaby will serve as Health Educator, working with schools and community agencies to engage youth and provide them the tools they need to make healthy decisions.
Gaby is a graduate of Texas A&M University, with a Bachelor of Science in Health, specializing in Community Health. This summer, Gaby completed an internship with Metro Health's Project WORTH, where she facilitated sessions and learned a lot about effective teen pregnancy prevention programs.
Originally from Laredo, Gaby is enthusiastic about helping prevent unplanned and teen pregnancy in San Antonio. She has a passion for working with teens, and hopes to be able to use her skills in speaking Spanish in her work with us.
We are excited to have Gaby join us, and we hope to welcome more new Health Educators soon!
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 In Case You Missed It...
We know it is hard to read everything in your In-Box! That's why we occasionally help you catch up with all the news related to teen and unplanned pregnancy prevention.
So, here are links to our most recent newsletters:
ME NOW...baby later
Prevention to Reduce Abortions
Faith and Teen Pregnancy Prevention
To access ALL of the e-newsletters in the Healthy Futures of Texas newsletter archive, click here. |
Healthy Futures of Texas is committed to reducing teen and unplanned pregnancy in San Antonio
and Texas by providing and promoting science-based and culturally appropriate approaches.
We are working toward a community where every young person is able to reach their potential, and
every child is wanted, loved, and cared for.
2300 W. Commerce, Ste. 203
San Antonio, Texas, 78207
210.223.4589
info@healthyfuturestx.org
www.HealthyFuturesTX.org
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