Local rise in rates of STDs worrisome

It’s worrisome to see increased rates of sexually transmitted diseases locally as well as in the state and nation, especially given Sedgwick County’s decision to cut $540,000 in health department positions and programs for 2016.

Among the alarming trends reported by The Eagle’s Gabriella Dunn and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

▪  New local HIV cases for 2015, with 46 through September, are on track to surpass the county’s previous record-high of 62 in 2009.

▪  Syphilis rates more than doubled in Kansas over the past four years, with men, 20- through 29-year-olds, and African-Americans the populations most affected.

▪  The U.S. saw 5.1 and 15.1 percent spikes of gonorrhea and syphilis for 2014, respectively, with the 1.4 million cases of chlamydia the highest “number of annual cases of any condition ever reported to the CDC.”

Health officials point to increases in anonymous sexual encounters arranged using apps or online sites – a trend that complicates investigations and identification of partners at risk. Syphilis, once nearly eliminated in the U.S., is especially increasing among gay and bisexual men.

According to experts, at least part of the blame for this emerging crisis also goes to the erosion of investment in public health – an issue that hits home in Sedgwick County.

Donna Sweet, a Wichita internist and HIV/AIDS specialist, spoke at an August county budget hearing about how crucial the health department is in containing STDs.

“GC is on the rise, gonorrhea. Syphilis is on the rise in this community,” Sweet said, as she argued against the proposed $780,000 in cuts. “The disease intervention specialists and the people at the health department help us keep these diseases in check. Without it, we are going to see further increases in our kids with all these preventable communicable illnesses.”

But the commissioners went ahead with $540,000 in cuts affecting health education, community health assessments, immunizations, cancer screenings and services to combat infant mortality. As part of the changes, the county will no longer take the lead on the Community Health Improvement Plan.

County commissioners also want to start asking the citizenship status of health department patrons – a step likely to deter some people from accessing services that could lead to diagnosis and treatment.

To their credit, the health department’s leadership and employees can be counted on to pursue their essential mission despite reduced resources. But Sedgwick County also needs stepped-up awareness, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases – not elected leaders who question the value of public health and the role of the county in promoting it.

This story was originally published December 1, 2015 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Local rise in rates of STDs worrisome."