South Dakota Planned Parenthood Advocate

STIs on the Rise in South Dakota

A disturbing trend has recently come to light concerning the spread of sexually transmitted infections in South Dakota.

The South Dakota Department of Health has released the July 2012 Health and Disease Summary, a monthly report that records the numbers of reportable diseases in South Dakota from the beginning of the year through July, and compares the numbers to the average recordings found in the last five years.

 2124 cases of Chlamydia were recorded between January 1^st and July 31^st, a 24% rise from the five-year median. Numbers of HIV/AIDS have risen by 33%, and rates of gonorrhea came in 58% over the previous average.

Perhaps the most startling rise, however, comes in the recorded cases of syphilis. Nine cases of syphilis have been reported in South Dakota in 2012. However, as the disease has been so rare in the area, this is a rise of 350% from the five year median ("July 2012 Health and Disease summary").

These numbers, and the ages behind them, highlight the importance of sexual education for people of all ages, and especially among teenagers and young adults. The new cases of gonorrhea and Chlamydia are largely focused in the 15-24 year old demographic, with 185 gonorrhea cases and 1530 Chlamydia cases. The nine syphilis cases, however, are all comprised of older adults, with six cases reported in people between ages 40 and 64.

The lack of awareness and education abut safer sex is reflected in these troubling numbers. In an interview with The Daily Republic, a South Dakota publication, state epidemiologist Dr. Lon Kightlinger said “People aren’t having safe sex…[State reporting] can go a long ways to helping stop these diseases from spreading, but it is still alarming to see how this disease can start with one person and spread like a web” (Huber).

Hopefully, unfortunate numbers like this can bring about the push for greater openness and education about the spread and risks of sexually transmitted infections. Schools need to be able to give their students thorough, factual and practical information about the sexual choices they are making, and parents need to be willing to have the conversation with their children as well. Only then can the spread of these serious diseases be stemmed.

Unofficial TTRT Book Club - Any Mother's Daughter

One person who doesn’t need any persuading on the HPV vaccine issue is Bonnie Diraimondo, a Registered Nurse and longtime sufferer of vulvar, cervical and anal cancer linked to high-risk strains of HPV. In “Any Mother’s Daughter,” Diraimondo provides a brief history of the virus (jackalopes are involved!) and gets imprimatur in a forward from Dr. Harald zur Hausen, a 2008 Nobel Prize winner for his work in discovering HPV’s link to cervical cancer.

But the bulk of this book is not for the faint of heart, as Diraimondo describes the painful, grueling and endless series of treatments (surgery, radiation and chemotherapy) she receives for recurring and life-threatening lesions. Diraimondo also does not spare any detail as she is cast into the nine rings of the nation’s health-care system: there are mislabeled biopsies, insensitive and judgmental remarks, out-of-network-care nightmares and chemotherapy dosage errors.

Along the way, there are some knights in shining lab coats, but they are rare. As to whether or not to have your daughter vaccinated, Diraimondo poses a blunt question: If your daughter should develop an HPV-related cancer in the future, “Can you handle being accountable for a decision which could have prevented it?”

~ Sarah T. Williams, Planned Parenthood Advocate

The Team Roe Times March Issue!

We are excited to present to you the third issue of The Team Roe Times in 2012, a joint project between Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and NARAL Pro Choice South Dakota!

Packed inside this fabulous issue is a book review of "Any Mother's Daughter" about the HPV vaccine, a summary of the South Dakota Legislature, the Blunt Amendment vote, the debut of "Women Vote 2012", an introduction to our new intern, AND SO MUCH MORE! Please enjoy and share widely.

Download The Team Roe Times Vol 2 Issue 3

Planned Parenthood Recognizes National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month By Urging Women to Get Regular Checkups

Making New Year’s resolutions? As part of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS) is urging women in South Dakota to put preventive checkups, including cervical cancer screenings, at the top of their lists. 

Every year, approximately 13,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and about 4,000 American women die of the disease. 

CDC Committee Recommends HPV Vaccines for Young Men

The initiatives being taken now to encourage boys to get vaccinated against HPV are so important. Last month, a Center for Disease Control committee recommended that males 11-21 be vaccinated against HPV. HPV affects both genders but the measures taken to safeguard against it have so far been focused on women. HPV can be the primary cause in several types of cancer, not just those affecting women. Vaccinating young men will protect them and their future partners against the fear of contracting HPV or any of the types of cancers that can be caused by HPV.

A Breakthrough for Women’s Health: No Co-pays for Birth Control

In a historic move for women’s reproductive and preventive health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced new guidelines Monday requiring health insurance companies to cover women’s preventive health services, including birth control. The rules take effect August 1, 2012.

“This is a tremendous step forward for women and families,” said Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO on Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota. “Not since the Comstock Laws, which banned information about contraceptives, were overturned in 1965 has there been a more significant development regarding contraceptives and preventive women’s health.”

“In addition to the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive methods, the ruling also makes the following available without co-pays or cost sharing:

• annual well-woman preventive visit
• screening for cervical cancer/HPV
• counseling for sexually transmitted infections
• counseling and screening for HIV
• screening and counseling for interpersonal and domestic violence
• breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling
• screening for gestational diabetes

In issuing its ruling, the Health Department adopted findings by the independent Institute of Medicine, which cited the need for the country to move from a reactive health-care system to one that fosters health and wellbeing.

“We know that these are cost-saving measures,” said Stoesz. “They help prevent unintended pregnancy, detect cancers early, help stop the spread of sexually transmitted infections and significantly increase access for those who are living paycheck to paycheck. The ruling makes sense financially, and is the compassionate and responsible thing to do.”

CONTACT: Sarah T. Williams, 612-821-6183

Men and the HPV Vaccine

The week, researchers from Innsbruck Medical University in Austria presented their study on men and the HPV vaccine at the meeting of the American Urological Association. Given that men also carry the human papillomavirus, the virus that can lead to male cancers and genital warts, they could spread HPV to their sexual partners, putting those women at risk for cervical cancer.

A Badge for GYT

I was rather disappointed in a recent post from one of my new favorite sites, BlissTree. The topic is whether one would actually want Foursquare’s STD badge.  

“Partnering with MTV to meld social media with social awareness, Foursquare created an online ‘movement’ to encourage young people to get tested. Every time users checked into a clinic, they unlocked badges and shared their whereabouts across social media platforms. According to them, their campaign resulted in thousands upon thousands of participants.”

Another reason to support Planned Parenthood: Half of men may have HPV

A new study shows that half of men in the US may be currently infected with HPV, also known as the human papillomavirus. The virus is the primary cause of cervical cancer, which is the second-most common cancer in women worldwide. And some strains of HPV have also been known to cause anal, penile, head and neck cancers in men as well. HPV is also the cause of genital warts in both women and men.

While there are more than 40 types of HPV that are transmissible via sexual contact, most men who get HPV never develop any symptoms or health problems. Although men can be screened and treated if they develop the types of HPV that are linked to genital warts, there are currently no tests available for men to detect whether they are infected with the types of HPV that can cause cancer.

There are, however, vaccines that are available for men and women to protect themselves against the virus. In October of last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the vaccine Gardasil to prevent genital warts caused by certain types of HPV in men and boys, ages nine to 26. The Centers for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends routine vaccination for girls ages 11 and 12.

Planned Parenthood offers the Gardasil shot at a reduced rate at most of their clinics in the state of Minnesota. Additionally, Planned Parenthood provides screening and treatment for other HPV diseases, for both men and women, through Title X funding.

Though many Republicans believe that they will be hurting Planned Parenthood by denying the organization Title X funding, the real victims will be those looking for access to health screenings. This most recent report only emphasizes the importance of Planned Parenthood and Title X in the health of millions of Americans.

Learn more about the HPV and the HPV Vaccine.

 

--by Kyle, Web Correspondent, Planned Parenthood Advocate