OHIO - STD Rates Up In County (and Hamilton County)

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http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/STD-Rates-Up-In--County/NP_0gfNKW0\

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STD Rates Up In County

Last week, we told you about the number of sexually transmitted diseases in

Hamilton County, growing at an alarming rate. As it turns out, County is

also seeing an increase in some types of s-t-d's, with both the cities of

Hamilton and Middletown seeing big jumps in cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and

hepatitis.

As Local 12's Larry shows us, health officials are blaming the high

numbers on cuts in funding.

This is Hamilton's fourth ward, a hotbed for prostitution in the city. And since

the city was forced to close this std clinic three years ago, it's feared that

more and more people are walking the streets with sexually transmitted diseases.

With the doors to this clinic locked, people in Hamilton go to Cincinnati to be

tested for std's or they don't go at all. Hamilton City Health Commissioner

Dempsey blames the higher std numbers on the closing of the clinic.

Dempsey, Hamilton Health Commissioner: " The cuts in funding have a big

part of it, it's not just treatment, but the educational aspect. If people don't

understand how to protect themselves, how to protect others, it certainly makes

a big impact. It becomes very problematic for us. "

Health officials say the number of chlamydia cases have risen dramatically,

since the clinic closed its doors in 2008. It was far and away the number one

reported disease in the city in 2010, followed by hepatitis c and gonorrhea.

This year, there are nearly three times as many cases of chlamydia reported than

the second most reported disease... hepatitis c.

Commissioner Dempsey says people just aren't practicing safe sex and that's

where education comes in. In Hamilton, funding cuts have closed the clinic where

people could get treatment and education.

" They're not practicing it as they should, and in addition to that, when they

are having problems, they may be letting the issue linger longer, because they

are unable to get to a std clinic as readily as in the past. "

And health officials are hoping that with the release of these new numbers, that

the city will unlock this door or reopen another std clinic.

Hamilton's Health Commissioner says there has been no talk of re-opening a s-t-d

clinic, but hopes that if and when the economy will turn around, the city will

revisit the issue.

[Guest guest]

http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/STD-Rates-Up-In--County/NP_0gfNKW0\

y2Np_02TQxhg.cspx

STD Rates Up In County

Last week, we told you about the number of sexually transmitted diseases in

Hamilton County, growing at an alarming rate. As it turns out, County is

also seeing an increase in some types of s-t-d's, with both the cities of

Hamilton and Middletown seeing big jumps in cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and

hepatitis.

As Local 12's Larry shows us, health officials are blaming the high

numbers on cuts in funding.

This is Hamilton's fourth ward, a hotbed for prostitution in the city. And since

the city was forced to close this std clinic three years ago, it's feared that

more and more people are walking the streets with sexually transmitted diseases.

With the doors to this clinic locked, people in Hamilton go to Cincinnati to be

tested for std's or they don't go at all. Hamilton City Health Commissioner

Dempsey blames the higher std numbers on the closing of the clinic.

Dempsey, Hamilton Health Commissioner: " The cuts in funding have a big

part of it, it's not just treatment, but the educational aspect. If people don't

understand how to protect themselves, how to protect others, it certainly makes

a big impact. It becomes very problematic for us. "

Health officials say the number of chlamydia cases have risen dramatically,

since the clinic closed its doors in 2008. It was far and away the number one

reported disease in the city in 2010, followed by hepatitis c and gonorrhea.

This year, there are nearly three times as many cases of chlamydia reported than

the second most reported disease... hepatitis c.

Commissioner Dempsey says people just aren't practicing safe sex and that's

where education comes in. In Hamilton, funding cuts have closed the clinic where

people could get treatment and education.

" They're not practicing it as they should, and in addition to that, when they

are having problems, they may be letting the issue linger longer, because they

are unable to get to a std clinic as readily as in the past. "

And health officials are hoping that with the release of these new numbers, that

the city will unlock this door or reopen another std clinic.

Hamilton's Health Commissioner says there has been no talk of re-opening a s-t-d

clinic, but hopes that if and when the economy will turn around, the city will

revisit the issue.