Broadcast date: 2/14/19
Some people could be getting more than just chocolate for Valentine’s Day if they are not careful. Studies show that sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) are on the rise nationally, including here on the Central Coast, and continue to hit all-time highs in the U.S. In August the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 2.3 million new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in 2017, a 10 percent spike from the previous year. This trend shows a steep and sustained increase in STDs since 2013.
What is causing this increase? Who is at greatest risk? What are the STDs that are on the rise? How can they be prevented? And, are they treatable? These are just a few of the questions that individuals are seeking to understand.
Join Kris Kington Barker as she speaks with Ann McDowell, Epidemiologist for the County of San Luis Obispo, Jessica Baker-Ballantyne, Certified Nurse Midwife with Planned Parenthood of the Central Coast, and Brooke Klever, Health Educator with CapSLO as they discuss how to set the stage for a sexually healthy celebration of love today and any day with education, testing and communication.
Central Coast Voices is sponsored by ACTION for Healthy Communities in collaboration with KCBX and made possible through underwriting by Joan Gellert-Sargen.
