April is National STD Awareness Month
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2006
Contact
Sonya Kuykendall, RN, BSN, PHN – STD Nurse Division of Infectious Disease Prevention & Management
(217) 239-7827
Diana Yates, Communications Coordinator
(217) 531-4275
April is National STD Awareness Month
April is National STD Awareness Month, an observance sponsored by the American Social Health Association. The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the Champaign County Public Health Department encourage all Illinois health care providers to alert clients to the increasing problem of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the community. STDs are one of the state’s most persistent (yet preventable) health problems. Public awareness about STDs remains critically low throughout the U.S., and STDs are occurring at epidemic levels, particularly among 15-29 year-olds. Education and testing are critical to the effort to reduce the spread of STDS, as some show few, if any, outward symptoms.
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- Preliminary data from 2005 indicate that over 46,000 cases of chlamydia and over 18,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported to Illinois Department of Public Health.
- In 2005, Champaign County had 1,130 chlamydia cases and 415 gonorrhea cases.
- During 2005, 72 percent of all chlamydia cases occurred in adolescents and young adults between 15-24 years of age.
- Preliminary data for early syphilis cases in Illinois demonstrated a 32% increase (708 to 937) in reported cases from 2004 – 2005.
In observance of this month, Public Health would like to offer Champaign County citizens and health care providers resources to assist in STD education, screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Public Health also offers three weekly STD clinics for Champaign County residents:
Mondays: Rantoul clinic (720 E. Wabash - 893-0832) 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesdays: Champaign clinic (710 N. Neil - 531 -4317) 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Thursdays: Champaign clinic (710 N. Neil - 531-4317) 9:00 – 11:00 a.m., and 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Public Health is part of a national effort to reduce STD incidence and prevalence. Nurses in the Division of Infectious Disease Prevention & Management perform outreach and testing at local jails, juvenile detention centers, schools and homeless shelters. Testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia is available via a “Wellness on Wheels (WOW)” Mobile Clinic (at the Catholic Worker House (317 S. Randolph Street, Champaign – Fridays – 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.) and “Teen Wellness on Wheels (Teen WOW)” (alternating between Central and Centennial High Schools every Wednesday from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m). Educational presentations about STDs are also provided each month in a variety of outreach settings.
For more information, please contact the Division of Infectious Disease Prevention and Management at (217) 239-7827.
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