SEX
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the public an interface to data maintained by the organization in the arena of STIs. Data maintained by the CDC offers valuable insight into STI trends by geography, specifically by State. A data search reveals the prevalence of STIs in Alaska and the number of associated cases.
| Indicator | Year | Cases | Rate per 100,000 |
| Chlamydia | 2021 | 5,571 | 760.4 |
| Congenital Syphilis | 2021 | 5 | 53.4 |
| Early Non-Primary, Non-Secondary Syphilis | 2021 | 132 | 18 |
| Gonorrhea | 2021 | 1,977 | 269.8 |
| Primary and Secondary Syphilis | 2021 | 194 | 26.5 |
Comparative analysis reveals that Hepatitis A and Viral Hepatitis B are the only two STIs with a reduction in prevalence compared to 2020. All other indicators increased in prevalence to the degree that primary and secondary chlamydia reached the number one rank of all States. Correspondingly high was the rate of Tuberculosis, also climbing and attaining the number one ranked position. The CDC’s State Health Profile on Alaska reveals much of the same information in consolidated form. Compared to other states, and through the data, Alaska ranks high in overall STI prevalence compared to its peers. According to information disclosed by the CDC, they uniquely support public health education initiatives through funding within the State of Alaska (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023).
The Minnesota Department of Health commissioned a working group to develop an STI assessment protocol to help screen for STI risk exposure while, at the same time, educating the highest-risk respondents on the realities of STI contraction and retransmission. The measure covers several distinct areas, including STI patent history, risk activities, injection history, and a fourth section, which contemplates questions that did not naturally fit in the other three. Each assessment component presents the clinician with educational opportunities and triage opportunities for escalated care based on the patient’s response.
The Minnesota Department of Health aimed to reduce the prevalence of STIs in their State by commissioning a working group to identify the best measure to manage retransmission risk and provide treatment to those suffering from an STI, thereby reducing the overall risk associated with the infection and potentiality of retransmission (MN Department of Human Services, n.d.).
Significant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is earmarked annually for public education initiatives in Alaska communities. The steady rise of sexually transmitted infections in Alaska is evidence that the resources allocated by the CDC fall far short of reversing the trend and infection rates within our communities.
It seems, from casual observation, that the topic of sexuality is interwoven with overtones of sexually transmitted infections: one cannot exist without the other. Accordingly, a reasonable conclusion could be drawn that our educational approach requires modification if we are to reduce the communicative nature of sexually transmitted infections sustainably.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Alaska – State Health Profile . https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/stateprofiles/pdf/alaska_profile.pdf
MN Department of Human Services. (n.d.). Guide for STD/HIV/Hepatitis Integrated Risk Assessment . Retrieved November 4, 2023, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2281453/files/151777728/download?wrap=1