The difference between love and herpes
Preventing STDs in one of the highest regions despite drop in numbers
Lindsey Oyler
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: News
The United States has the highest rate of Sexually Transmitted Diseases of any industrialized country. One in four teenage girls have an STD. These diseases also cost the United States a total of $14 billion per year. But,when St. Louis loses the lead to Baltimore in the STD race, SIUE really can't breathe a sigh of relief.
These facts, among others, were part of professor of pharmaceutical science Cathy Santanello's lecture telling SIUE students not to stop considering safer methods of physical contact just yet.
"St. Louis had the highest rate of syphilis and now we're number two with respect to gonorrhea and chlamydia," Santanello said. "Naturally I would like to see more of a drop, but it just shows we need more education in general. People are paying so much attention to viral diseases and not thinking of bacterial ones."
According to Santanello, a specific STD may circulate a campus, but the spread of these diseases can be found on younger campuses as well.
"It's actually high schools and middle schools as well," Santanello said. "That's unfortunately the age that is affected."
According to senior biology major Maria Garcia of Aurora, STDs are a problem at SIUE because it is "something that people don't openly talk about having.
"It's hard to say whether we became number two by chance or not," Santanello said. "I would say that I think it's more because Baltimore became number one by chance. It's because of the lack of education in big cities. We should start educating in schools a lot earlier."
The education given in schools now is still not enough, according to Santanello.
"Our reactions are very alarming," Santanello said. "We're still not paying close enough attention."
During a lecture to a group of sociology classes in Alumni Hall Tuesday, Santanello used graphs and charts to reveal that the focus has merely shifted in the general trend of disease from 1998 until 2007.
"In 1998, bacterial diseases were the most common," Santanello said. "As of 2007, trichomoniasis is the most common and is fortunately not lethal and won't do much damage."
These facts, among others, were part of professor of pharmaceutical science Cathy Santanello's lecture telling SIUE students not to stop considering safer methods of physical contact just yet.
"St. Louis had the highest rate of syphilis and now we're number two with respect to gonorrhea and chlamydia," Santanello said. "Naturally I would like to see more of a drop, but it just shows we need more education in general. People are paying so much attention to viral diseases and not thinking of bacterial ones."
According to Santanello, a specific STD may circulate a campus, but the spread of these diseases can be found on younger campuses as well.
"It's actually high schools and middle schools as well," Santanello said. "That's unfortunately the age that is affected."
According to senior biology major Maria Garcia of Aurora, STDs are a problem at SIUE because it is "something that people don't openly talk about having.
"It's hard to say whether we became number two by chance or not," Santanello said. "I would say that I think it's more because Baltimore became number one by chance. It's because of the lack of education in big cities. We should start educating in schools a lot earlier."
The education given in schools now is still not enough, according to Santanello.
"Our reactions are very alarming," Santanello said. "We're still not paying close enough attention."
During a lecture to a group of sociology classes in Alumni Hall Tuesday, Santanello used graphs and charts to reveal that the focus has merely shifted in the general trend of disease from 1998 until 2007.
"In 1998, bacterial diseases were the most common," Santanello said. "As of 2007, trichomoniasis is the most common and is fortunately not lethal and won't do much damage."
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