STDs in Teton County

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

By Sam Petri

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Remember 1993, when every time you turned on the TV, Magic Johnson was telling you to use a condom? Maybe they should rerun those commercials in Teton County. While HIV and AIDS are not prevalent here - there is about one reported case a year - it does exist, and a few other Sexually Transmitted Diseases are common.
The most current data available to Planet Jackson Hole was from the Wyoming Provisional Morbidity Report, January to June, 2007. Chlamydia was the most reported STD during that time, with 18 infections in Teton County and 565 reported cases in the state.

The state tracks Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and Syphilis. Herpes and Genital Warts are not tracked because it is difficult to test for them when symptoms are not occurring.
“Chlamydia certainly isn’t the most common,” said Dr. Hayes, a local practitioner. “Venereal warts are by far the most common.”

Dr. Hayes said that for every case of Chlamydia he sees, he sees five cases of venereal warts, caused by certain strains of HPV, a virus. “A very high percentage of people have them. Same with Herpes,” he said.

Still, he said, Teton County rates were low because it is a small town, there is little prostitution, and one-night encounters with total strangers are seldom. “If you give one of these diseases to a person in Jackson, they’re going to call you up and tell you,” he said.

“Our rates are probably not a true indication of the actual rates we have,” said Teton County Public Health Manager, Terri Gregory. “It could be the tip of the iceberg.” People who do not report (or don’t know about) their STDs, people who report them in other counties, and outsiders who report STDs in Teton County all contribute to the confusion as to what is really going on.

There is no known cure for HIV/AIDS or Herpes. Syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea can be treated, and most cases of Hepatitis and HPV can now be prevented (but not cured) by vaccines.

The new HPV vaccine is available to women aged 9-26. Gardasil protects against four HPV types, which together cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts, according to the Center for Disease Control. It is administered through a series of three shots over a six-month period and is available at public health on Pearl Street.
In the meantime, do as Magic Johnson told you and practice safe sex.
PERMALINK:
STDs in Teton County | Planet JH News Article: General News

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