American Social Health Association March 14, 1997
Contact: Sharon Broom, Director of Public Relations (919) 361-8400 [email protected]
ASHA Emphasizes Link Between STDs, Infertility
'Protect Your Fertility and Your Future' Is Theme of STD Awareness Month in April
Sexually active young people must protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases and be routinely tested for these infections to help ensure their fertility later in life, the American Social Health Association emphasizes. ASHA is sponsoring National STD Awareness Month in April with the theme "Protect Your Fertility and Your Future."
At least 15 percent of all infertility cases in American women are caused by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a complication of untreated STDs, according to the Institute of Medicine's recent report "The Hidden Epidemic."
PID occurs when an infection in the genital tract - usually chlamydia or gonorrhea, which rank first and second among the most commonly reported infections - spreads from the cervix up into the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. The infection can cause scarring in the fallopian tubes, making it difficult or impossible for a woman to become pregnant. PID can also cause chronic pain and ectopic, or tubal, pregnancies, in which the mother's life is threatened and the fetus cannot develop.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea, which can also can cause sterility in men, are often present without noticeable symptoms. Chlamydia is symptomless in 85 percent of cases in 85 percent of cases in women and 40 percent of cases in men.
ASHA encourages people who have sex to use condoms consistently and correctly as the best protection against STDs, and to get regularly tested for STDs even if no symptoms are present. Reliable tests are available for both chlamydia and gonorrhea, and both can be cured with antibiotics if they are detected.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea were the most commonly reported infections of any kind in 1995 (the latest year for which figures are available), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While 477,638 chlamydia cases and 392,848 gonorrhea cases were reported that year, the CDC estimates the actual number of new infections at 4 million cases of chlamydia and 800,000 cases of gonorrhea annually.
Young people are at especially high risk for STDs, with two-thirds of the 12 million new STD infections each year occurring in people under 25. Teens and young adults who have unprotected sex may contract a disease that can impair their fertility later in life.
The IOM report urges systemized, publicly funded screening for STDs so these infections can be treated before they cause permanent damage or are transmitted to partners. The report also advocates comprehensive STD prevention programs in public schools.
Founded in 1914, ASHA is dedicated to stopping STDs. It operates the National AIDS Hotline (800/342-2437), National STD Hotline (800/227-8922), National Herpes Hotline (919/361-8488) and other programs related to STD prevention. Along with information about STDs, these hotlines provide referrals to local clinics for free testing.
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