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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| CDC: 110 Million Americans Have STDs At Any Given Time |
| 2014-10-08 |
| [ATLANTA.CBSLOCAL] While the national media focus on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the patient in Dallas, the CDC is reminding Americans that sexually transmitted diseases are an ongoing but hidden epidemic. In the United States, nearly 20 million cases of new STD infections are reported each year, reports Live Science. Since infections can persist for a long time, and because some victims are not even aware they have a disease and can easily spread it to others. Based on data from 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the eight most common sexually transmitted diseases are: chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus (HBV), genital herpes, HIV, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis and trichomoniasis. About 50.5 million current infections are in men while 59.5 million are in women, for a total of 110 million Americans with STDs at any given time. That's about a third of the population. As the noted philosopher R. Ricardo once said: "I dun blivit." Fifty percent of new infections occur in young people from ages 15-24 and gonorrhea is the most commonly reported STD in that age group. Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported STD in the United States. The most commonly reported infection is chlamydia. But since many who are infected don't show symptoms, the number could be far higher than the 1.4 million in 2012, a rate of 457 cases per 100,000 people. Right. It could be everybody, you and me included. New infections with HIV and hepatitis B occur in less than 50,000 people each year. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #16 It's as OS said, people might have multiple STDs. However, case definitions can be a little tricky. The following cases are "required" to be reported: Chlamydia - confirmed cases Chancroid - confirmed and probable cases Gonorrhea - confirmed and probable cases Hepatitis B - confirmed acute cases; both confirmed and probable chronic cases HIV - confirmed cases and possible perinatal exposures Syphilis- confirmed and probable cases The "probable cases" may not transition into confirmed cases. Some STDs are not required to be reported. Some STDs are notifiable. Others reportable. Some are asymptomatic. Some disorders are sexually transmitted like "crabs" but not necessarily considered diseases. Disorders like non-specific urethritis may result from sexual encounters but it may occur for other reasons. Often one person may have multiple STDs. Some of these disorders are lifelong and people tend to move from place to place. They are likely to see a new doctor where they move. It is possible a patient with an existing disease may be reported as a "new case" in more than. This would tend to inflated rates. Like many diseases there are unknowns. There appears to be a lack of uniformity in reporting requirements from state to state. No reporting system is perfect. Older people don't necessarily drop out of the "at risk" population: Older. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-10-08 19:22 |
| #15 What's the population of California? |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2014-10-08 16:50 |
| #14 The CDC's credibility is completely shot. Their timing could not be worse to |
| Posted by: regular joe 2014-10-08 16:11 |
| #13 Are they simply not overlapping? One would thing that multiple infections of STIs might account for many of these reported cases. Chlamydia, herpes, HPV all at the same time are not unheard of especially since they are nearly asymptomatic in many forms, especially when they are in an inactive state like herpes -- the person has the disease but is not projecting symptoms. So there's 3 cases in one person. HIV also tends to have many other diseases along for the ride because it does weaken the immune system. Hep B is spread via contact with blood or body fluids, and can exist outside the body for up to 7 days on some surfaces. Also, its spread perinatal in mother to child, as well as in vulnerable populations with enforced proximity and poor sanitation (prisons, for example). So Hep B also has far more than just the sexual factors to spread it, including it as an STI may inflate the numbers unjustifiably. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2014-10-08 15:12 |
| #12 some 50% |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-10-08 14:57 |
| #11 The population of the U.S is about 319M. The demographics by age are: 0-14 years: 19.4% (male 31,580,349/female 30,221,106) 15-24 years: 13.7% (male 22,436,057/female 21,321,861) 25-54 years: 39.9% (male 63,452,792/female 63,671,631) 55-64 years: 12.6% (male 19,309,019/female 20,720,284) 65 years and over: 13.9% (male 20,304,644/female 25,874,360) (2014 est.) Suppose one lops off the 0-14 group and the 65 and over group. Assume, for a moment that these ~ 100M are not at high risk for STDs. If the CDC says 110M have STDs, that is about half the at risk population of the remaining ~ 200M---some 50! One might question the validity of the "at risk" groups assumed. The > 65 population dropping out may not be realistic. Also, one reads of kids starting at ages earlier than 14. I think the CDC numbers are most likely in error. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-10-08 14:54 |
| #10 I figured they were going to include yeast infections. But no. Number is impossible. I once caught severe poison oak from my wife in a sensitive area. Maybe that counts as an STD? |
| Posted by: KBK 2014-10-08 13:21 |
| #9 Oh, How Lovely 110 Million Americans Have STDs At Any Given Time From Wedding Glossary - Learn to Speak Wedding Unlike dating STDs, wedding STDs are a good thing! A Save the Date is a precursor to the wedding invitation and notifies guests to mark their calendars. Etiquette suggests ordering STDs as soon as the location and date are secured. The STDs should be sent no later than six months before the wedding. This is only a written abbreviation – STDs are pronounced Save the Dates when spoken. |
| Posted by: Grimble Crolutch7835 2014-10-08 12:21 |
| #8 Supposedly the retirement communities are just rife with STDs, because nobody's worried about pregnancy after menopause and folks get bored just sitting around waiting... but yeah, even in The Villages, 1/3 sounds like crazy talk. Even if they're treating the flu as an STD. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2014-10-08 12:04 |
| #7 half of them got it from Sandra Fluke |
| Posted by: Frank G 2014-10-08 09:48 |
| #6 Dr. Steve - for the sake of argument I'm assuming 'The Villages' would not be within the standard deviation. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-10-08 09:00 |
| #5 Better than that. Roughly 22% of the population is under age 18. Roughly 13% is over age 65. Now let's assume that the STD rate is really low in the very young and the very old. Sure, sure, 18 year olds could get an STD, and Grandpa might be frisky still, but we can discount the rate in these two age groups at least some. That means, in the 18 to 65 crowd, that the rate has to be higher. 40%? 50%? You're going to sell the idea that 1 in 2 adult Americans has an STD? Really? |
| Posted by: Steve White 2014-10-08 08:45 |
| #4 What's the American population, about 330 million. So, the CDC is claiming a third of the entire population is carrying. Any guess that some of this is mathematical extrapolation based upon selected data samples? You know, just like MMGW? |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2014-10-08 08:27 |
#3  We're here for you. Tours available. Visit our facilities soon. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-10-08 08:01 |
| #2 Well, that was six years ago. I'm sure they're all better now. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2014-10-08 07:37 |
#1  |
| Posted by: Big Thromoth3646 2014-10-08 05:08 |