Mercy Rockford Health System issued the following announcement on Apr. 27.
April is Sexually Transmitted Infections Awareness Month. The month is aimed at drawing attention to the importance of sexually transmitted disease (STD), also known as sexually transmitted infection (STI), testing.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 5 people in the US have an STD. There are more than 20 million new STD cases in the US every year. Almost half of the new STDs were among youth aged 15-24.
STDs are very common and are passed from one person to another through sexual activity including vaginal, oral, and anal sex. They can also be passed from one person to another through intimate physical contact, such as heavy petting, though this is not very common.
STDs don’t always cause symptoms or may only cause mild symptoms, so it is possible to have an infection and not know it. That is why it is important to get tested if you are having sex. If you are diagnosed with an STD, know that all STDs can be treated with medicine and some can be cured entirely.
If you would like to interview a Mercyhealth OB/GYN on the topic of sexually transmitted infections, please contact Cindy Tuminskas at (815) 971-6119.
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