Minnesota Chlamydia Strategy: n Action Plan to Reduce and Prevent Chlamydia o February 2012 i t a Introduction Current Situation m Chlamydia continues to be underestimated as a Chlamydia rates have nearly doubled over the past 10 r serious health threat that disproportionately affects years reaching epidemic levels in Minnesota. o girls and young women. The number of chlamydia Adolescents and young adults account for 69% of the f cases has reached epidemic levels in Minnesota with 15,294 cases that occurred in 2010. n over 15,000 cases reported in 2010. I
The epidemic number of cases reported in recent Chlamydia in Minnesota (All Ages) d years revealed that partners within the medical Rate per 100,000 by Year of Diagnosis, 1994-2010 n community and leaders, organizations, schools and 325 u community members within affected communities 300
275 0 o 0 0
need to take charge and strategize on how to stop the , 250 0 0 r 1 225
r 311 per 100,000
spread of chlamydia. e
p 200
a i
g d 175 y
m 150 a l k h
C 125
Chlamydia Health Concerns f o 100 e t c a 75 Chlamydia is the most frequently reported infectious R 115 per 100,000 50 a disease in the U.S. and is caused by the bacterium, 25 Chlamydia trachomatis. Both men and women can 0 B 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 get it by having unprotected vaginal, oral and anal Year sexual contact with an infected partner. Data Source: Minnesota STD Surveillance System
Untreated chlamydia in women can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), chronic pelvic pain, infertility, ectopic pregnancies and premature deliveries, and can be passed on to newborns, which may cause blindness or pneumonia. Women with chlamydia are up to 5 times more likely to become infected with HIV, if exposed.
Chlamydia, if untreated, can also cause scarring within a man’s reproductive organs leading to sterility.
Although chlamydia is curable with antibiotics, many cases go undetected and untreated since most infections in men and women are asymptomatic. Specifically, 75 to 80% of infected women and 50% of infected men are asymptomatic. Routine chlamydia screening of adolescents and young adults can detect asymptomatic cases, which will reduce complications and associated high medical costs.
Persons can be re-infected with chlamydia if their partners are not treated at the same time. Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly for vaginal, anal and oral sex, can reduce the risk of transmission of chlamydia. Minnesota Chlamydia Strategy: n Action Plan to Reduce and Prevent Chlamydia o (Continued) i t Page 2 a Develop activities designed to reduce rates of m chlamydia in Minnesota; r Address the unfair health situations that o contribute to the higher chlamydia and f gonorrhea rates in communities of color and n American Indians; and, I Develop a statewide strategy to prevent new cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea. d n Minnesota Chlamydia Strategy: Action u Plan to Reduce and Prevent Chlamydia o r On April 12, 2011, MDH and the Minnesota Chlamydia Partnership released the first-ever, g community-based action plan on chlamydia. The k purpose of this Strategy is to inform the citizens of c Minnesota about the epidemic of chlamydia, the a factors that contribute to increases seen over the past
B 14 years, and the consequences of ignoring the health issues of Minnesota youth. It provides suggestions and recommendations for actions that can be taken to improve the sexual health of young Minnesotans. These actions include suggestions for the medical community, schools, youth-serving agencies, parents Chlamydia Disproportionately Impacts Youth and policy makers. All goals, objectives and tactics have been organized under the following categories MN Population in 2000 Chlamydia Cases in 2010 within the Strategy: (n = 4,919,479) (n = 15,294) Funding and Policy Issues 25-29 yrs 25-34 yrs 17% Raising Community Awareness 14% Education in Communities 35+ yrs 50% 30-44 yrs 12% Clinical Issues: Screening, Treating and 15-24 yrs Reporting 14% 45+ yrs 2% Affordable and Accessible STI/STD Services
15-24 yrs <15 yrs 69% 1%
<15 yrs The Strategy is located at: 22% http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/chl Data Source: Minnesota STD Surveillance System STDs in Minnesota: Annual Review amydia/mcp/strategy/index.html .
Minnesota’s Response Next Steps The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) The first main task of the MCP is to promote recognized that the effort required to impact current awareness of the Statewide Strategy and to inform chlamydia disease rates was beyond its scope and interested parties on how they can become involved resources and that additional partnerships among a with the MCP. broad cross-section of stakeholders statewide would need to be recruited. To this end, the MDH took the Secondly, the other main task of the MCP is to lead in forming the Minnesota Chlamydia Partnership identify individuals, communities, agencies and (MCP) in order to: organizations around the state of Minnesota that are Call attention to the high rates of chlamydia interested in exploring ways they can work to reduce in Minnesota, especially among adolescents rates of chlamydia by implementing ideas from the and young adults ages 15-25 years of age; statewide strategy. Minnesota Chlamydia Strategy: n Action Plan to Reduce and Prevent Chlamydia o (Continued) i t Page 2 a How to Become Involved m There are several ways agencies, organizations and r consumers can become involved with the MCP to o begin addressing the chlamydia epidemic within our f state: n Learn about the MCP and all of its activities: I http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dise d ases/chlamydia/mcp/index.html Sign-up to be a member of the MCP to n receive updates, reports, data, events and u ideas and also be able to connect with other o members: r http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dise g ases/chlamydia/mcp/mailinglistform.cfm k For agencies and organizations, help spread c the word about the MCP and the Statewide a Strategy by including the MCP’s connecting links within your web site, bulletins, B newsletters, e-mail announcements and other correspondence and publications Review the Statewide Strategy and learn about various tactics that you can use or incorporate within your place of business, home or social settings: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dise ases/chlamydia/mcp/strategy/index.html
For More Information Peter Carr STD and AIDS Director Minnesota Department of Health PO Box 64975 St. Paul, MN 55164-0975 651-201-4007 651-201-4000 (fax) [email protected]
MN Chlamydia Partnership Web Site: http://www.health.state.mn.us/mcp