PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its 2021 Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance report Tuesday which showed Oregon ranked low among states for its rates of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, but was listed among the highest in the nation for its syphilis rate.
In the U.S., Oregon ranked ninth in 2021 for its number of syphilis cases, with 22.3 cases per 100,000 people. Neighboring Washington ranked 14th with 19.5 cases per 100,000 people.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can cause sores in genital areas or on a person’s lips or mouth. It can also cause rashes, a fever, hair loss, a sore throat, headaches, weight loss and more. According to the CDC, the infection develops in stages.
It can be spread through contact with a syphilis sore during sex, a mother can pass it to her unborn baby. It cannot be contracted by contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, and shared clothing or eating utensils.
The Oregon Health Authority acknowledged that the state’s number of syphilis diagnoses has been increasing due to a variety of factors.
OHA said things like limited federal funding for STI prevention, testing and care; a lack of access to routine health care and sexual health care; and the persisting stigma around STI-related testing are all factors contributing to the spread.
State health officials pointed out that during the COVID-19 pandemic, access to routine health care worsened due to a disruption in services.
“This resulted in more recent, rapid increases around syphilis diagnoses,” OHA wrote in a statement.
The health authority also said structural racism, discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, homelessness, incarceration and substance use are other factors to consider in the infection’s spread.
“Based on these points, it’s clear that inequities involving social determinants of health play a large part in the rise of syphilis diagnoses and other STIs across Oregon, even before the pandemic,” OHA stated.
Health officials suggest people make proactive efforts to help prevent the spread of syphilis and other STIs. Most STIs are asymptomatic and people are unaware they’re infected. So, creating a plan with a health provider for HIV and STI testing is a good way to protect yourself, OHA said.
The Oregon Health Authority has a list of local public health departments online. People can contact the one closest to them to learn more about local resources. Health officials also recommend the HIV/STI testing program called Take Me Home. It offers discreet self-test kits and instructions on how to test mailed to your home.
“For example, if someone lives in a more rural community where clinic services aren’t as easily available without driving long stretches, they can get STI tests discreetly mailed to their home,” OHA said.
The Oregon Health Authority also highlighted Oregon’s condom distribution program for low-income individuals. The program called One at Home allows people to order condoms through the mail for free. The CDC says the correct and consistent use of condoms is highly effective at reducing STD transmission.
According to the CDC’s report, Oregon ranked 40th among states for its chlamydia rate and 36th for its gonorrhea rate.
The Oregon Health Authority said expedited partner therapy is not recommended for syphilis, but it is a viable way to treat chlamydia and gonorrhea through prescriptions or medications.
The program allows people in Oregon who have a treatable sexually transmitted infection to take prescriptions or medications to their partner without a health care provider first examining a partner.