It’s time for some frank talk about sexual activity and the rise of sexually transmitted diseases, which set records at both state and national levels in 2016.
Rising STD Rates
Data released by California’s Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal the unnerving news that rates for both gonorrhea and syphilis have escalated in the state.
The troubling truth is that health-conscious California experienced the third-worst rates of infectious primary and secondary syphilis, after Louisiana and Georgia. Worse yet, one-third of newborns in the state had congenital syphilis, passed from mother to child, an increase of 28 percent from 2016.
Factors Driving STD Increase
California had more than a quarter of a million STD cases last year, an increase of 40% since 2012. Unfortunately, finding a sexual partner is as easy as the swipe of a cellphone, and people are becoming careless about using condoms. Drug users and the homeless often trade sex for more drugs and a temporary shelter.
Undocumented immigrants fear seeking healthcare advice and impoverished pregnant addicts can’t pay for pre-natal care. Pregnant addicts also fear loss of their children if they seek health services. And on both ends of the economic spectrum, Californians don’t engage in serious discussions about sexually transmitted diseases with their doctors, family members, partners or kids.
Help for Personal Injury Caused by STDs
Anyone whose life has been upended by a sexually transmitted disease should know their rights by consulting our Palm Springs personal injury attorney. We can answer your questions without any judgment and help you receive compensation for any personal injury that has resulted from your exposure to sexually transmitted diseases.
