The Centers for Disease Control released new STD data today, and the stats and trends among Blacks are more alarming than ever.
The report summarizes national data on chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea in 2010. Results indicate that Blacks are most affected by gonorrhea and young Black women are the most vulnerable to the disease. Blacks accounted for a shocking two-thirds (69 percent) of all gonorrhea cases in 2010. Earlier in the year, there was news that a new strain of gonorrhea has emerged that could eventually be resistant to the only cure available to doctors.
Blacks also made up nearly half of all syphilis cases in 2010, and cases of the disease among young black men between the ages of 20-24 have increased 134 percent over the past five years.
The chlamydia infection rate among Blacks in 2010 was nine times higher than Whites and three times higher than Hispanics.
Our community is in trouble. These numbers show that annual STD screenings can not only save your life, but help to stop the rapid spread of these diseases in our communities. With the increase in infections among young Black men, Black women are more at risk than ever.