(Pedro Szekely / Flickr)
Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise across the nation.
To combat the increase in STIs locally, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public of Health are launching a multiyear initiative, starting with a task force aimed at a reducing new syphilis cases.
Last year, there were 877 primary and secondary syphilis cases in Chicago – the highest number since the mid-1990s and an 11% increase over 2017, according to city officials, who say gay and bisexual men were disproportionately affected.
Women were also impacted. Between 2017 and 2018, there was a 38% increase in syphilis cases among women, which could lead to more infants acquiring congenital syphilis. Without proper treatment, syphilis can lead to neurological damage, blindness, deafness, stroke and permanent damage to vital organs, according to officials.
The city’s syphilis task force will include 15 medical and community experts, and will be co-led by CDPH and community organizations. According to the city, task force members will work together to develop scientifically sound, community-oriented strategies that are focused on populations and geographic areas disproportionately impacted by syphilis.
They’ll also set goals, targets and make recommendations that strengthen existing policies and practices, as well as initiating new approaches to reduce disease transmission through increased testing, treatment and prevention, the city says.
Future task forces will focus on reducing chlamydia and gonorrhea infections, primarily among black youth and young adults, according to the city. In 2018, Chicago had the highest number of chlamydia cases on record (30,608) and the highest number gonorrhea cases in a decade (12,679), according to officials.
“The City of Chicago is committed to ensuring all residents have the opportunity to be healthy,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “There is an urgent need to scale up prevention and treatment efforts on STIs. Together with community partners, we intend to meet this challenge.”
Below, the full list of task force members.
• Jesús Hernández Burgos; Public Health Initiatives Director, Puerto Rican Cultural Center- Vida/SIDA
• Jill Dispenza, Director; HIV/AIDS and STD Services, Center on Halsted
• Erik Elías Glenn; Executive Director, Chicago’s Black Gay Men Caucus
• Noel Green; Manager of Outreach and Care Engagement, University of Chicago, Chicago Center for HIV Elimination
• Chad Hendry; Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Howard Brown Health Center
• Brian Mustanski, Ph.D.; Co-Director, Third Coast Center for AIDS Research (CFAR)
• Nirmalpal Sachdev; General Manager, Steamworks
• Greg Storms, MA; Director of Youth Services, Center on Halsted
• Homer Abiad, MD, MPH; Infectious Diseases Physician, Cook County Health – John H. Stroger/CORE
• Aniruddha Hazra, MD; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Global Health University of Chicago
• Kristin Keglovitz-Baker, Chief Operating Officer and Certified Physician’s Assistant, Howard Brown Health Center
• Supriya D. Mehta, MHS, PhD;Associate Professor of Epidemiology, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health
• Maura P. Quinlan, MD, MPH; Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
• John Schneider, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Medicine and Epidemiology Director University of Chicago Chicago Center for HIV Elimination
• Andrew Trotter, MD, MPH; Assistant Professor Infectious Diseases Specialist University of Illinois at Chicago
Contact Kristen Thometz: @kristenthometz | (773) 509-5452 | [email protected]
Related stories:
UIC Receives $3.5M to Study HIV Medication Adherence
New Cases of HIV in Chicago at Record Lows, But More Work Ahead
Planned Parenthood Seeks Cash After Bailing From US Program
Chicago Joins ‘Getting to Zero’ Initiative Aimed at Eliminating HIV
