PHOENIX – The rates of sexually transmitted diseases in Arizona are rising at a faster rate than the rest of the country. The state health department said rates have tripled in the last 20 years, and the issue is rapidly getting much worse in Maricopa County.
“Our rates of sexually transmitted diseases have increased by more than 50% in the last five years,” said Dr. Rebecca Sunsenshine, the medical director for disease control at the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.
Dr. Sunenshine said chlamydia is the most commonly reported infectious disease in the county with more than 25,000 cases.
“We know that most people who have chlamydia don’t even know they have it, which means that 25,000 cases is just the tip of the iceberg,” Dr. Sunenshine said.
Maricopa County released the number of reported cases of STDs by ZIP code and found several ZIP codes are seeing extremely unhealthy numbers of infections.
Search this map to find cases reported by ZIP code.
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Though chlamydia is the most common infectious disease Arizona’s largest county, syphilis might be the most concerning to some doctors, especially in the neonatal intensive care unit.
“Babies can die from this,” said neonatologist Erin Tkach at Banner Thunderbird in Glendale. Tkach says treating expectant mothers with syphilis is becoming one of the most important parts of her job these days.
“It’s just something that we’re seeing so much more often now,” Tkach said.
According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, up to 40% of babies born to women with untreated syphilis may be stillborn, and others may die from the infection after birth. Dr. Sunenshine said five infants died in Maricopa County in 2018 alone from complications with syphilis.
Last year, 61 babies were born from mothers with untreated syphilis in Arizona, and 10 of those babies died from their symptoms, according to the state health department.
The good news is syphilis can be treated with penicillin alone, and with enough warning, the treatment can save potential newborn babies from all related complications.
“Any time you see innocent babies dying from something that is 100% preventable, that is when we really need to get the word out and make sure people understand the risks,” Dr. Sunenshine said.
The county provides a $20 test for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV which you can find the details on by visiting this link.