Yesterday, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention released an annual report of statistics and trends for three rampant sexually transmitted diseases in the US. For the first time in ten years overall syphilis rates have decreased in the country. While this is a wonderful step forward for our nation, the CDC still reports ungodly amounts of STDS in the US. What should come as no surprise is, just like in previous years, communities of color, gay men, and MSM-identified men are still subject to highest rates of infection among the nation’s most prominent STDS.
Here is a breakdown of where the nation stands with each STD:
Syphilis:
MSM make up 2/3 of all 2010 syphilis rates. Black MSM who have seen a 135% increase in syphilis from 2006-2010, found some alleviation this year with an 8.5 % drop in infections compared to last year. Hispanic communities saw a 9% increase in in syphilis. Caucasian communities saw a 3.65 % increase in syphilis rates.
Gonorrhea and Chlamydia:
The CDC recorded 1.3 million positive case of Chlamydia in 2010. Black women make up the largest numbers of both Gonorrhea and Chlamydia infections. The Hispanic community saw a 12 percent increase in both STDS. White communities faced a 7.5 percent increase in Chlamydia infections and a 9.2 percent increase in gonorrhea infections.
These results highlight dichotomy’s that exist across color lines:
Reuters did a telephone interview with Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. He explained the statistics in way that communicates the spread better.
Syphilis infections are 2.4 per 100,000 for Whites, 5.9 per 100,000 for Hispanics and 20 per 100,000 for African Americans.
Rates of chlamydia in African Americans are about 1,383 per 100,000, compared with 467 per 100,000 among Hispanics, and 166 per 100,000 for Whites.
For gonorrhea, rates for Whites are 26 per 100,000. Among Hispanics, rates are about three times that at 63 per 100,000, and among African Americans, the rates are 512 per 100,000.
Fenton explained the dichotomy’s across color lines as such:
"It's not because someone is black or Hispanic or white that results in the differences that we see in STDs. It's really what these represent in terms of differences in health insurance coverage, employment status, in ability to access preventive services or curative services. These are all factors which are going to have a huge impact on communities”.
What Fenton said hits the bull right in its eye. Barriers to healthcare services exist in Hispanic, black, and queer communities. These findings are very similar to CDC reports released in August on 2009’s new HIV infections—which pinpointed that while gay/bi men make up only 2% of the population, they are an astounding 61% of new infections. Young MSM (ages 13 to 29) were most affected, representing more than 1 in 4 (27%) of all new HIV infections nationally in 2009.
MSM and other community’s that historically have been and continue to be marginalized today, face the heaviest burden for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV alike. But it is not the fact that they are of color, gay, or sleep with men that is causing these disparities; the fact is that access to healthcare, education, and preventive services become limited by societal stigma. The reality is individuals that lie within the intersections of being both queer and of color are at the highest risk for these STDs and new HIV infections.
AID Atlanta is doing its part to alleviate the stigma by providing programs that target specific risk groups. With programs like Evolution, Deeper Love, SISTA SOL, and of course GO Atlanta, we hope to reduce the rates and change the patterns in which these STDS and the HIV virus is spreading. Our new web-based outreach series, A Gay in the Life, allows us to break through some of the barriers associated with accessibility. Programs like the ones found here are hopefully just the beginning of more culturally competent health-care systems and AIDS service organizations.
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