Fast Facts In Our Schools Top 12 Cities with Gonorrhea and Syphilis Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the Homeless References Sexually transmitted diseases disproportionately affect racial/ethnic minorities, those with low-incomes, the elderly, and youth. These underserved communities either have higher rates of disease, lower access to health care, or an increased mortality rate due to disease. Fast Facts Gonorrhea rates among African Americans (848.8 per 100,000) are more than 30 times higher than among non-Hispanic whites (27.9 per 100,000), and more than 11 times higher than among Hispanics (75.3 per 100,000).(1) Each year, approximately three million cases of sexually transmitted diseases occur among teenagers, and approximately one million teenagers become pregnant. (2) Nationally, Native American women are diagnosed with STDs at higher rates than all other racial/ ethnic groups, with the exception of African American women.(3) Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is likely the most common STD among young, sexually active people. At any one time, an estimated 20 million people in the United States have genital HPV infections that can be transmitted to others and, every year, about 5.5 million people become infected.(4) It is estimated that one in five Americans are infected with genital herpes.(5) In our schools... Most high school students undergoing routine physical examinations do not talk to their health care practitioner about preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or pregnancy, according to a CDC study released at the National STD Prevention Conference held on December 2000.(6) The study found that only 42.8 % of female high school students who had received a routine check up in the last year and only 26.4 % of the males had discussed STD or pregnancy prevention with their health care provider.(6)Teenagers remain at high risk for STD infections.(6) By the twelfth grade, 65 % of high school students have ever had sexual intercourse, and one in five has had four or more sexual partners.(6) Top 12 Cities with Reported Cases of Gonorrhea and Syphilis in 1999(7): 1. Atlanta 2. Baltimore 3. Chicago 4. Detroit 5. Indianapolis 6. Memphis 7. New Orleans 8. Newark 9. Norfolk 10. Richmond 11. St. Louis 12. Washington, D.C.   Homeless Race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status are highly correlated with sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates.(8) In a pilot study of homeless family planning clinic users, 60 % had a history of sexually transmitted disease, 28 % had a history of pelvic inflammatory disease, and 23 % had a history of an abnormal Pap smear.(9) Back to Top References 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). Tracking the Hidden Epidemics: Trends in STDs in the United States. CDC, 2000. 2. http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dtsd/MMWRs/Trends_Risk_Behaviors_HS_students.htm 3. Bohn DK. Lifetime and current abuse, pregnancy risks, and outcomes among Native American women. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2002;13(2):184-98. 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). CDC Issues Major New Report on STD Epidemics. CDC: 2005. http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/Press_Releases/STDEpidemics2000.htm 5. Gottlieb S, et al. Seroprevalence and Correlates of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2) in Five Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinics. CDC, 2000. 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention. Press Release. CDC, December 2000. 7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Division of STD Prevention. Table: Gonorrhea and Syphilis Rates by City, 1999. CDC, 2000. http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/Press_Releases/TableCities1999.htm 8. Leonard L, Chatterjee N, Ross M. Preventing syphilis: lessons from a survey of two inner-city communities in Houston, Texas. J Health Care Poor Underserved 1999;10(3):362-75. 9. Shuler PA. Homeless women's wholistic(sic) and family planning needs; An exposition and test of the nurse practitioner practice model. Unpublished observation. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI,1991. This research was supported by a National Library of Medicine (NLM) Publication Grant #5G08 LM07653-02 in support of the creation of a web site titled Factline: Tracking Health in Underserved Communities, www.factline.org. Saqi S. Maleque, MSPH, Researcher, Principal Investigator: Virginia Brennan, PhD.