Gonorrhea Advocacy Sheet

Like many of the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs),gonorrhea often presents no symptoms, so many infected with it do not know, especially women. According to the Planned Parenthood website, roughly 600,000 women and men are infected with gonorrhea in the United States every year. Also similar to other STDs, having gonorrhea puts you at a higher risk for being able to contract other STDs, likeChlamydia and HIV.

Gonorrhea Advocacy Sheet

Like many of the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs),gonorrhea often presents no symptoms, so many infected with it do not know, especially women. According to the Planned Parenthood website, roughly 600,000 women and men are infected with gonorrhea in the United States every year. Also similar to other STDs, having gonorrhea puts you at a higher risk for being able to contract other STDs, likeChlamydia and HIV.

Gonorrhea hit epidemic levels in Alaska during the past year

State health officials are concerned that Alaska gonorrhea rates, which held steady for years, suddenly jumped by 69 percent in 2009 -- the biggest one-year rise since the 1970s, said Susan Jones of the state's Department of Health and Social Services .

Kids need protection

According to the Utah Department of Health, in the past five years cases of gonorrhea have doubled; chlamydia has risen by 50 percent. Obviously, people aren't using protection, yet the sex education reform in our Legislature died in committee. Some legislators argue that it's parents' job to talk to teens about contraceptives, but I know my parents don't talk about them to me. I know several of my friends' parents don't talk about the subject with them. They just assume we'll all choose abstinence. Most of us find out what condoms are through friends or the media. Not exactly the most reliable sources.