Broward County Health Department: To promote and protect the health and safety of all persons in Broward County through the delivery of quality public health services
Sexually Transmitted
Disease Control
STD Awareness
  • Approximately 15 million new cases of Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)’s are reported in the United States annually.
  • At least one-quarter of these new infections are identified among teenagers.
  • The economic burden of these infections is estimated at $10 billion annually.
  • Adding HIV infection increases this cost estimate to $17 billion annually.
  • A good proportion of the direct costs of STD’s result from failure to detect and treat these infections in their initial stages.

The diagnosis of an STD can denote infection with any one or more of 25 infectious agents.

Chlamydia

Asymptomatic STDs provide enhanced opportunities to spread and infect others. For example, chlamydia, the most common bacterial STD in the United States, may be treated easily with antibiotics. However, 85% of the women infected do not know it because they have no symptoms; and 40% of the infected men report no symptoms, as well. In general, if an individual experiences no pain or discomfort, it is highly unlikely that she or he will seek medical attention. Hence, the infection continues to spread and, in women, may result in a variety of complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, or ectopic pregnancy.

Syphilis

Infectious syphilis, an easily diagnosed and highly curable disease, has reported record low morbidity for the past five years in Broward County, even lower than the Florida and United States case rates.

Infectious Syphilis Rates Chart for 1996-2000

A Syphilis Elimination Initiative has been adopted as a national goal by the CDC. The goals are to reduce infectious syphilis cases to 1,000 or fewer per year (syphilis rate less than 0.4 per 100,000), and to increase the number of syphilis-free counties to 90% by 2005. Two major implications for the elimination of infectious syphilis would be (1) lower rates of HIV transmission and (2) decreased congenital syphilis births to infected mothers, resulting in lower fetal and infant mortality rates.

Broward County was making progress towards the syphilis elimination goal with a rate of 0.9 per 100,000 in 1998. Unfortunately, Broward’s infectious syphilis rate per 100,000 increased 33% to 1.2 in 1999. It then increased an additional 75% to 2.1 in 2000, the highest rate since 1995. 

Re-emergence of Syphilis

Geographically, Broward County meets all the requirements for a Potential Re-emergence area, and the documented increases in infectious syphilis in 1999-2000 continue through the first quarter of 2001. The critical ingredients for potential re-emergence are:
·  a history of high syphilis rates in the 1990s
·  located on a border or along migrant streams
·  a drug trafficking corridor
·  a home for groups disproportionately affected by syphilis (such as drug users, sex workers, men having sex with men, and minority populations adversely affected by high rates of unemployment and poverty).

The spread of infectious syphilis in Broward also may be attributed to international tourism, "spring breakers," and a re-emergence of bathhouses, bars, and clubs permitting patrons to engage in anonymous sexual activity.

A mutually monogamous sexual relationship is the safest STD prevention method. If that is not possible for you or your partner, you must reduce your number of sexual partners, and use condoms correctly each and every time you have sex. These are the best methods to reduce your risk of exposure to syphilis, HIV, and other STD.

For more information on the BCHD STD Program, contact Carla Hardnett, Program Coordinator, at (954) 767-5088