Gonorrhea Cases Up Among Black Teens
The number of gonorrhea cases among black teenagers in San Francisco more than doubled in 2005, compared with 2004, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
DPH officials said about 100 cases of gonorrhea were diagnosed among black teens ages 15 to 19 last year. Overall, gonorrhea cases increased by 11% to 2,420 cases in 2005 compared with the previous year.
DPH does not yet know why gonorrhea cases among black teens have increased, according to Pennan Barry, a medical epidemiologist with Sexually Transmitted Disease and Control Services.
Health professionals have been asked to evaluate the sexual histories of all patients younger than age 25 and to screen for gonorrhea all sexually active black patients younger than age 25.
San Francisco in 2004 had the highest rate of gonorrhea infections in the state: 269.4 cases per 100,000 residents. Cases of gonorrhea statewide have increased from 21,632 in 2000 to 30,258 in 2004 (Allday, San Francisco Chronicle, 3/29).
The San Francisco DPH release on the expanded gonorrhea screenings is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the report.