STD a crisis NL and Groton cannot ignore

It is disturbing that young people in New London and Groton, mostly teenage girls, are infected as part of what is being described as "an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases."

More alarming is the apparent racial disparity in findings of a 17-month study of more than a decade of laboratory-confirmed cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea in the city and town that show young black and Hispanic females bearing a disproportionate number of the infections.

As uncomfortable as it may be, the region must address this public health crisis, not ignore it. Frank discussions about sexual activity and possible repercussions like pregnancy and infections have to become commonplace. Routine testing, more effective and less stigmatizing if made mandatory, would not only help document the extent of the problem but also help stem the spread of infections and their high recidivism rate.

Meaningful, explicit sex education is essential and critical to solving this medical problem. Young people must understand the consequences of risky behavior and parents have to assume more responsibility. Schools, clinics and churches can play important roles in addressing this epidemic, but they will never be a substitute for parents.

The difficult public discussion of how to reverse this alarming trend began Monday afternoon with the release of the results of the long-awaited study of sexually transmitted diseases and teen births undertaken by the Ledge Light Health District Epidemiology Program.

Health care professionals, clergy, educators and elected municipal officials have been aware of the ongoing study and troubling findings for some time now, but were waiting for a conclusive final draft. They got it at Monday's meeting at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London.

"Distressing." "Excessive." "Disturbing." Those are all words that Baker Salsbury, the Ledge Light director of health, used to describe what he has found.

Bottom line: Females aged 15 to 24 living in Groton and New London are experiencing an alarming number of STDs. Males can be infected, too, but biological differences put females at greater risk, and because women are more inclined to be tested, they are more often identified.

Since the majority of infections are asymptomatic - there are no obvious symptoms - confirmed cases typically represent just 35 percent to 45 percent of a problem. So extrapolating the numbers in New London, where every year since 2005 there have been more than 160 documented chlamydia infections, the more likely number of new cases annually is probably 450 to 500.

This epidemic is as serious as others, such as bullying and childhood obesity. Left untreated, sexually transmitted diseases can result in serious, long-term health problems, including infertility. And a history of chlamydia is a predictor of subsequent infection; the New London data showed that 33 percent of females and 13 percent of males who were diagnosed once went on to be diagnosed two or more times.

And the problem is getting worse. Year after year, the number of infections has gradually grown.

While the local racial disparity mirrors national trends for STDs, it is still upsetting. It is crucial that the minority community be much involved in the discussion on how to address this health crisis. For the 11-year period studied, 1997-2007, the New London data for females showed 320 whites infected, 515 blacks, 391 Hispanics and 17 others.

And while New London and Groton were the first communities studied, Ledge Light is planning a similar review of documented cases for Ledyard, Waterford and East Lyme later this year.

The formation of a task force will unite community providers in addressing the epidemic and finding ways to end it. Given current fiscal constraints, the task force faces a big challenge, because it will be difficult to expand programs and services unless grants are found to pay for them.

Fortunately, this region already has a strong foundation of school-based health centers in Groton and New London and a respected Infectious Disease Service at L&M that could be instrumental in addressing the issues. And there are long-established prevention and wellness programs offered through L&M's Office of Community Health, Outreach & Partnerships that link to existing public health and community agencies, which could be tapped.

A primary goal must be to make the best use of those existing resources.

Educators, health care providers and political, religious and community leaders must rise to the challenge. But parents have to be involved and young people need to be part of the solution. Otherwise, efforts to end the STD epidemic will be elusive.