Mobile County Health Department discusses uptick in STD cases
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Talking about STDs is something a lot of people shy away from, but in Mobile County, STD numbers are staggering.
News 5’s Cherish Lombard was joined by Cherrite Peterson and Ashlee Fountain-Jones from the Mobile County Health Department in studio Friday to discuss the rise in sexually transmitted disease cases.
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The highest rates of STDs in the country are found in the 20 to 29 age group with a rate above 227% per 100,000 residents.
“So here in Mobile County, we have about 300,000 residents,” Peterson said. “Out of that 300,000, every 100,000, 227% of those people have tested positive for STDs, so that is extremely high for a county such as Mobile. So we’re definitely encouraging people to get tested so that we can get those numbers down.”
Peterson said chlamydia is the most common STD found in Mobile, but it is a treatable STD. She said in 2023, Mobile County saw 4,500 cases of chlamydia.
Mobile County also saw a 3.6% increase in human immunodeficiency virus cases, Peterson said.
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Women and young girls are more likely to be impacted by STDs than men or boys.
“So we have more women seeking care,” Fountain-Jones said. “They are going in because they are having more symptoms. They are going in for their GYN exams, and they are getting tested more often.”
Still, many who may have these kinds of issues don’t see a doctor, which can lead to major health problems.
“Yes, it can definitely lead to different things like infertility,” Peterson said.
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“Chlamydia, so chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which is a severe infection that can occur on the female’s ovaries, fallopian tubes, and their uterus, which can lead to infertility,” Fountain-Jones said.
Syphilis is at its highest levels in seven decades.
“Syphilis going untreated can lead to blindness, heart disease and many other symptoms,” Peterson said. “It can definitely to some people not being able to function mentally if it’s not treated correctly. And that’s why we encourage people, if you don’t know, get tested, because a lot of the signs and symptoms of syphilis are not painful. So people think that because it’s not painful, they don’t have anything, but the signs and symptoms are visible. So we encourage people, if you see something that doesn’t look right, please get tested.”
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