Health

HE A LTH • Spring 2019 9 strains of gonorrhea). Both conditions can be passed from mother to infant during childbirth. Gonorrhea hit a historic low in 2009, according to the CDC, but rose more than 75 percent since then. The federal agency reports two-thirds of recent chlamydia cases were in the 15-to-24-year-old age group. Massachusetts had 1,474 cases of syphilis in 2017, according to CDC data. Though on the rise, it's not reported as often as gonorrhea and chlamydia are. Treated with penicil- lin, syphilis develops in stages, begin- ning with a painless sore. Left unchecked, it could result in damage to the brain, nerves, eyes or heart. Cycle of scripts Saint Vincent Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr. Michael Burns pointed out better testing or more reporting of these infections are not the reason for the higher numbers. There is no spike, but rather, a gradual, steady increase. Burns is on the frontline of diagnos- ing and treating gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. He said he is writing pre- scriptions all the time for chlamydia and gonorrhea, or folks infected with both, in the Worcester ER. "We're asked to do more for less," Burns said of healthcare in general, with dwindling clinic allocations and less access to primary health care. The hospital has a dedicated follow- up nurse for patients who test positive and don't come back for a prescrip- tion or whose phone numbers are no longer in service – with partnerships at area shelters and social service pro- grams to track them. Burns calls it a tremendous amount of work, with certified letters, phone calls to prima- ry care physicians, and other attempts. It's a concentrated effort to help control the spread, but one he said Saint V's does well. Syphilis test results takes longer, said Burns, requiring a blood test. From an educational standpoint, Burns said, basic information – such as the fact most STIs are asymptomat- ic; people can transmit them without knowing it, even years later; and oral or implantable contraceptives don't prevent against infection – are just not widely enough understood. "Get to them as early as middle school," he suggests. "Reach people before they start having sex and educate them on the fact that all it takes is one unprotected encounter. The pill doesn't protect you from STIs, and you need to be tested," and start additionally using barrier methods like condoms. Burns is an advocate for regular testing for the sexually active, testing which has come a long way. "It's easy now," he said. "We test the urine for chlamydia and gonorrhea." • Assisted Living Residence • Skilled Nursing Facility • Long Term Care Center • Residential Memory Care • Short Term Rehabilitation • Adult & Pediatric Hospice • Adult & Pediatric Palliative Care • Educational Resource Center NOTRE DAME HEALTH CARE 555-559 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA 01605 (508) 852-5800 notredamehealthcare.org EMBRACING ENHANCING ENRICHING EMPOWERING Giving you the peace of mind you need and deserve, in your own home or on our beautiful campus. An understanding of the magni- tude of the local STI problem is not as strong as it could be for primary care providers, Burns said. But the nation- al nonprofit Planned Parenthood, with a sexual-health focus, is a trust- ed resource for the hospital. Education edge Worcester has significantly higher STI rates than neighboring areas, according to Planned Parenthood. In Worcester since the early 1980s, Planned Parenthood's education efforts have been developed and based upon what the community lets us know they need, said Angelique Bouthot, community outreach spe- cialist. Her position is one of them: She was made full time over a year ago. The staff expanded to include a full- time bilingual team member for par- ent education. Planned Parenthood has STI treat- ment and testing at its Worcester, Fitchburg and Marlborough loca- tions, free or at a reduced cost, if a patient is uninsured or low income. The reason STIs are no longer referred to as STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases, said Bouthot, is it wasn't totally accurate. "Diseases usually have symptoms," she said, making STI a better term to help dispel the myth a person would know it if they had an STI without being tested. Planned Parenthood operates training programs for schools, parents and professionals on how to educate on sexual health. The nonprofit dedicates resources to translation services to communicate to patients in all languages. This kind of education is needed, Abraham said. He suggested even combining edu- cation on barrier methods like con- doms as part of an annual physical, along with things like firearm safety and seatbelt use. "We want parents to proactively talk to their children about sexual health, starting early, with building blocks," such as personal boundaries, said Bouthot. The result is parents who are "reliable and askable … parents who have grown in their knowledge and comfort level." "Get them early as middle school. Reach people before they start having sex and educate them on the fact that all it takes is one unprotected encounter." Angelique Bouthot from Planned Parenthood offers educational programs on the prevention and detection of sexually transmitted infections, which is considered a better term than STDs since infections don't always have symptoms the way dis- eases do. Dr. Michael Burns, chief of emergency medicine, Saint Vincent Hospital H PHOTO/CONTRIBUTED

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