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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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Happy New Year from the NCC and the staff at Partnership for Prevention!
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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. |
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2012 STD Surveillance Report Released
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released the latest national data on reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in the 2012 STD Surveillance Report. The report finds that STDs continue to threaten the health and well-being of millions of Americans, particularly young people, as well as gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Data from the report show that cases and rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea infection are highest in Americans between the ages of 15 and 24. The rate of chlamydia per 100,000 people is 456.7, an increase of 0.7% since 2011. Both young men and young women are heavily affected by STDs, but young women face some of the most serious long-term health consequences. It is estimated that undiagnosed STDs cause infertility in 24,000 women each year.
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Missed Opportunity for Teen Sex Ed: the Doctor's Office
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According to a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics, physicians are not having thorough discussions about sex and sexuality with their teenage patients. Researchers analyzed the medical conversations between 253 adolescents (average age 14) and 49 physicians at 11 health clinics throughout the Raleigh/Durham, NC area. The team focused on sex or sexuality-related topics - defined  as any content involving sexual activity, sexuality, sexual identity or dating - discussed during the appointment, and found that 65% of the visits included some discussion about sexuality, but only in passing. The average time spent on these issues was 36 seconds. Only 4% of teens had prolonged discussions with their doctors about topics related to sex, which suggested that doctors were not discussing sexuality at all with their patients who were reaching sexual maturity during the yearly checkup.
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New Adolescent Health Highlight on Contraceptive and Condom Use
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The Child Trends Adolescent Health Highlight, Contraceptive and Condom Use in Adolescence, presents key findings about contraceptive and condom use and analyzes the prevalence and trends of STDs. The report also identifies factors that influence  contraceptive and condom use and addresses barriers adolescents face in obtaining and using contraception. Almost half of US high school students report having had sex. Meanwhile, teens ages 15 to 24 account for just under half of the 19 million new STDs diagnosed in the US every year. And, despite recent declines, teen pregnancy rates in the US remain higher than in other developed nations.
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Infographic Provides a State-by-State Look at Effect of ACA
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A new interactive infographic from the Kaiser Family Foundation presents a comprehensive look at how the ACA affects the uninsured in each state. The ACA provides new coverage options for many of  the nation's 47 million nonelderly uninsured people across the income spectrum, but there are big differences between states based on the makeup of their low income populations and whether or not a state is expanding the Medicaid program. The online tool features an interactive map that allows users to click on each state to obtain key data that break down the potential gains in coverage for the uninsured, the gaps in coverage and those who will not receive any financial assistance.
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New PHR Supplement on Program Collaboration and Service Integration
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A Public Health Reports (PHR) supplement, Program Collaboration and Service Integration, presents a selection of approaches, studies, and lessons learned from efforts to build greater program collaboration and service integration in STD, viral hepatitis, TB, and HIV prevention and control in the US. The supplement highlights the need to continually rethink prevention in the face of changing epidemics and syndemics, as well as increased opportunities for prevention through the healthcare system.
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STD Tests: There's an App for That
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Hula, a new iPhone app, points users to the best STD testing centers, can receive test results, and can even privately share said results  with partners through the app (a process with the kitschy title: "unzipping"). Once a lab uploads a user's test results to Hula (with the user's permission), a trained Hula employee translates the lab report into an understandable diagnosis. For example, a "nonreactive" result for a syphilis test shows up as simply "negative" on the user's app. These results can be messaged to a partner, urging them to get tested or sending them the "all-clear."
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