United States: The cases related to Sexually Transmitted Infections, also known as STIs, have been increasing across the United States, and currently a spike has been noticed in Mississippi.
According to the data shared by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the state, as a whole, has been witnessing a surge in cases linked to STIs. Additionally, some cities, including Jackson, have been ranked among the top five most infected cities.
High infection rates in Mississippi!
The rate of STI cases in Mississippi has touched heights, and the region has been listed among the most affected by the CDC. According to the official data shared by the health agency, in 2022, the rate of infection in the region was as follows:
Chlamydia: Mississippi ranked second with 781.2 cases per 100,000 population
Gonorrhea: The US State ranked first with 371.9 cases per 100,000 population
Syphilis (congenital): Ranked sixth with 207.6 cases per 100,000
Syphilis (primary and secondary): Ranked fifth with 31.1 cases per 100,000
STI Rankings!
The ranking of the cities, according to Innerbody analyzed CDC data, is as follows:
- Philadelphia,
- Pennsylvania,
- Memphis and
- Jackson
It is to be noted that the ranking has been given after monitoring and studying the data for the 2022 year, according to clarionledger.com.
Comments by health experts!
As per the health experts, the rise in cases is not because of any particular reason. However, a significant factor contributing to the increase could be a decrease in STI services across the nation.
In this regard, the director of the CDC STD Prevention Division – Laura Bachmann, highlighted that several years have seen declining STI services in the United States. It is noteworthy that this decline has been witnessed and experienced even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to this, Dean of the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Population Health – Thomas Dobbs, mentioned that the decline has been witnessed across the nation; however, the trend is extreme in the US state, as per clarionledger.com.
Dobbs was further quoted saying, “A lot of the time, things that are bad elsewhere are worse here. Part of it is a local phenomenon.”
Urgent need for robust and strong health infrastructure!
Both health experts – Dobbs and Bachmann, have emphasized that public health infrastructure must be upgraded to the best and most modern to tackle health issues.
Dobbs was quoted saying, “You got to have public health folks who can go out there and interrupt the chain of transmission,” according to clarionledger.com.
He further mentioned, “It used to be we had about two (specialized) nurses in every county,” adding, “Now, we have about one nurse for every two or three counties. The health department role has been drastically cut, and that’s where a lot of STD work has traditionally been done.”