Health

Cook County Health Officials Use Valentine’s Day to Highlight Importance of Safe Sex Practices

Health care officials have a message this Valentine’s Day: Wrap it up.

Cook County officials and health care providers gathered at a Friday news conference to remind residents to get tested and use a condom to protect against sexually transmitted infections.

“Positive conversations about safe sex have proven to be an effective way to increase condom use and decrease sexually transmitted diseases,” Cook County Commissioner Kisha McCaskill (5th District) said during the news conference, which was also held in light of National Condom Week.

While suburban Cook County has seen a decline in some STI cases in recent years — such as for chlamydia, gonorrhea and earlier stages of syphilis — the number of cases is still far too many, according to Interim Chief Operating Officer of the Cook County Department of Public Health Dr. Kiran Joshi.

In 2023, there were 10,806 chlamydia cases and 3,061 gonorrhea cases in suburban Cook County, according to the latest CCDPH numbers. That year also saw 157 cases in suburban Cook County of primary and secondary syphilis, which the state health department describes as the earliest and most transmissible stages of syphilis.

Between 2020 and 2023, the suburbs saw congenital syphilis cases triple, from 4 to 12 cases. Congenital syphilis occurs when a pregnant person infected with syphilis passes it to their baby.

Black and Latino communities experience higher rates of sexually transmitted infections.

“The disparities that we’re seeing in STIs are deeply disturbing,” Joshi said. “It’s critical that we acknowledge these higher rates are not caused by one’s race, ethnicity, culture or heritage, but rather, by the social conditions in which they live.”

Social conditions such as poverty, income inequality, fewer employment opportunities, lower education levels and lower access to education contribute to disparities, according to Joshi. People who cannot afford basic needs can have more difficulty accessing quality sexual health services, he added.

“Many people of color distrust the health system, fearing discrimination from doctors and other health care providers,” Joshi said. “This can create negative feelings around getting tested and getting treated for STIs.”

Health care officials gave the following STI prevention tips:

• Get tested regularly.
• Talk to your primary health care provider to see if you’re eligible for certain medications that can help prevent STIs.
• Vaccines are recommended for some people to prevent HPV infection and Hepatitis B, both of which can be transmitted sexually.
• If using a condom: Check the expiration date. Make sure there are no tears or defects on the condom. Also, don’t use oil-based products like baby oil, lotion and petroleum jelly with condoms because they can cause condoms to break.

If left untreated, STIs can be life-threatening. Visit CCDPH’s website for more information on how to get free condoms and where to get tested and treated for STIs in the Chicago area.

Contact Eunice Alpasan: @eunicealpasan | 773-509-5362 | [email protected]

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