Managing Partner
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Learn more about Partnership for Prevention's initiatives here. |
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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 Holidays 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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2013 STD Surveillance Report Released
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According to the new CDC 2013 STD Surveillance Report, rates for chlamydia decreased slightly between 2012 and 2103, with that  reduction seen mostly among young women and men aged 15-19. This is the first time that overall chlamydia case rates have decreased since national reporting began and the second year that rates have decreased among adolescent females.
However, trend data also shows that rates for primary and secondary syphilis increased by an alarming 10% in 2013, on top of an 11% increase in 2012. The rate of primary and secondary syphilis in 2013 is the highest recorded rate since 1996. Overall, 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.
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Chlamydia Screening for Sexually Active Young Women Under the ACA
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The Affordable Care Act offers three primary avenues for chlamydia screening among sexually active young women: 1) the preventive services provision; 2) Medicaid expansion, and; 3) cost-sharing subsidies and premium tax credits. In this edition of the NCC Research Translation Committee's Hot Topic Series, members of the committee discuss the new opportunities and lingering barriers to chlamydia screening for sexually active young women ages 24 and younger under the ACA. Read the full Hot Topic here.
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FDA Approves New HPV Vaccine
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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Gardasil 9 for the prevention of certain diseases caused by nine types of HPV. This vaccine covers five more HPV types than  Gardasil (previously approved by the FDA), including two types of HPV that cause approximately 90% of genital warts cases. Gardasil 9 has the potential to prevent approximately 90% of cervical, vulvar, vaginal and anal cancers. The vaccine was approved for use in females ages 9 through 26 and males 9 through 15.
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New Report:Contraceptive Status Among Women Aged 15-44
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A new National Center for Health Statistics report shows that the birth control pill remains one of the most popular  methods for women, along with female sterilization and condoms. Among the 62% of women aged 15 to 44 who used birth control between 2011 and 2013, approximately 16% used the pill. Female sterilization (where the fallopian tubes are closed or blocked) was used by 15.5% of women, while 9.4% used male condoms. According to the report, intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants, both types of long-acting reversible contraceptives, are becoming more popular as their use nearly doubled since the last report five years ago.
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New Supplement on Adolescent Sexual Health
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A special sexual health supplement of the Journal of Adolescent Health was recently released. The supplement reviews evidence and experience around adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Among the findings: improving access to comprehensive sex education and adolescent-friendly health services is  effective, and does not lead to earlier, increased or unsafe sexual activity; and programs that work with local communities to gain acceptance for these services for adolescents, and that ensure youth participation, were found to be the most successful. Articles include: Creating an Enabling Environment for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health; Effective Strategies to Provide Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Services and to Increase Demand and Community Support; Addressing Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Among Adolescents: Emerging Evidence of Effectiveness; and more.
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| Effect of HPV Vaccine on Sexual Behavior | |
A new study finds that, despite concerns, vaccinating young girls against HPV doesn't affect sexual behavior. Using administrative health databases, researches identified 260,493 girls who were in grade 8 in the two years before and after implementation of Ontario's grade 8 HPV vaccination program. Teen girls in the study who received the HPV vaccine were no more likely to become pregnant or contract another sexually transmitted infection (STI) than girls who were not vaccinated. These results suggest HPV vaccination does not have any significant effect on sexual behavior and that concerns over increased promiscuity following HPV vaccination are unwarranted and should not deter from vaccinating at a young age. In the US, only 38% of girls and 14% of boys received all three doses of the HPV vaccine.
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| Call for Abstracts: 2015 APHA Conference |
APHA's 2015 Annual Meeting & Exposition will take place October 31-November 4, 2015 in Chicago, and the call for abstracts for oral and poster sessions is now open. Depending on the topic area, the deadline for submissions ranges between February 9-13. The theme of the 2015 conference is "Health in all Policies," and abstracts related to all areas of public health are welcome. |
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