Sexually transmitted diseases on the rise in Florida. Babies are at risk, too | Column

There is some alarming news I need to share with you. If you have a healthcare license in the state of Florida, you already know the news. The Florida Department of Health sent all professionally licensed medical and nursing people two bulletins over the last two weeks.

The first bulletin was about syphilis. The second one was about gonorrhea. I would not be surprised if we get one regarding chlamydia in the coming weeks.

All three of these sexually transmitted diseases have seen a dramatic increase.

According to the first bulletin, in 2018 150,000 cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia were reported in Florida. Case reports of early syphilis have increased by 91% in the past five years.

Also in the report congenital syphilis, when a baby is exposed in the womb, case reports have more than doubled from 48 to 108. If a woman contracts syphilis while pregnant the baby can have seizures, infections, deformed bones, anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, blindness and hearing impairment. These symptoms usually occur in the first few weeks after delivery. If the mother has syphilis and does not get treated during the pregnancy the baby could be born dead or die during the first few weeks from an infection.

If a woman has gonorrhea while pregnant and does not get treated, the baby will be exposed to gonorrhea during the birth process. This can lead to blindness, joint infections and/or blood infection.

Chlamydia is known to be a “silent” infection. Most people who are exposed to chlamydia do not have symptoms for weeks. The chlamydia bacteria usually invade the cervix at the bottom of the uterus and sometimes it will invade the urethra, where we pee. If it infects the cervix the woman may have some pus discharge or bleeding. If it infects the urethra the symptoms are similar to having a urinary tract infection. If a woman has a chlamydia infection while she is pregnant, she can go into labor early. Chlamydia can cause eye infections and or pneumonia in a baby.

All three of these diseases can be cured with medicine. Prompt treatment is important. If left untreated permanent damage will happen. Syphilis if untreated will eventually destroy the brain and kill you. Gonorrhea can lead to abdominal pain which can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This can lead to infertility, abscesses and chronic pain. Chlamydia untreated can also lead to PID. It can also damage the liver and pelvic pain.

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. In 2018 1,758,668 cases were reported to the Center for Disease Control from 50 states and the District of Columbia. It is believed however an estimated 2.86 million infection occur annually. Chlamydia is most common among people between the ages of 15 and 24 years. The CDC estimates 1 in 20 sexually active young women aged 14 to 24 has chlamydia. It has become so common, one teacher told me her high school students think chlamydia is like catching a cold.

The bulletins were sent out to spread the word to everyone how important it is to test, treat and prevent these diseases. The recommendation is that all pregnant women are tested for these diseases. All people who have multiple partners should be tested annually. Treatment is imperative to prevent long term damage and death. Prevention involves education, counseling, alerting all sexual partners of diagnosis, and re-screening at 90 days following treatment.

This makes me sad. However it is all true and we all need to be informed.

This story was originally published December 3, 2019 at 7:58 AM.