Ventura County Public Health begins STD partner

Rigoberto Vargas, M.P.H
Director
Robert M. Levin, M.D.
Health Officer
2240 E. Gonzales Road, Suite 200
Oxnard, California 93036
805.981.5101
http://www.vchca.org/public-health
Contact:
Adrienne Stephens (805) 677-5297
Asst. Public Information Officer
[email protected]
Sheila Murphy (805) 677-5274
Public Information Officer
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1-23.14
Ventura County Public Health begins STD partner therapy
program
(VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.) –Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) has launched a new
Expedited Partner Therapy (EPT) program designed to treat the sexual partners of people
diagnosed with chlamydia, a common sexually transmitted disease (STD), as well as stem the
tide of new infections.
The EPT program allows people who have been diagnosed with chlamydia to receive free
antibiotic medications to distribute to their sexual partner(s) without a health care provider
having to do a physical exam first. This completely confidential program is administered by
VCPH’s Communicable Disease program located at 2240 E. Gonzales Rd., Suite 220, in
Oxnard.
“Our new EPT program allows us to treat patients who are unlikely to seek out timely medical
evaluation and treatment on their own,” said Dr. Robert Levin, Ventura County Health Officer.
“Ensuring the treatment of sexual partners is a key component to curbing the spread of
chlamydia and other STDs.”
In 2012, there were 2,631 cases of chlamydia in Ventura County, with women aged 17– 29
accounting for 61% of all reports, and in 2013, there were approximately 2,430 cases. Ventura
County chlamydia rates have almost doubled since 2003.
Chlamydia accounted for over 60% of all communicable diseases reported in Ventura County in
2012 and the disease is so prevalent that it is estimated that 1 in 15 sexually active females
aged 17-19 years has chlamydia.
Ventura County Chlamydia Rates ‐ Annual (Rates per 100,000 Population)
Chlamydia Cases per 100,000 Population
350
304
300
284
275
2009
2010
257
286
234
250
200
316
191
194
189
197
2002
2003
2004
2005
205
2006
150
100
50
0
2007
2008
2011
2012
*PROJ YE 2013
Data: Ventura County Public Health Confidential Morbidity Report data 2003‐ 9/26/2012 (WebCMR). *Cases for the final 3 mos of 2012 were estimated by averaging cases per month for Jan through Sept. and applying those numbers for the final 3 mos of 2012. Population: 2011‐2012 CADoF Table 2: E‐5 (Estimates) 2012, 2008‐2010 CADoF Intercensal 2000‐2010 Total Population by Age and Race (Updated 9/12/2012) Chlamydia can infect both men and women and can cause serious, permanent damage to a
woman's reproductive organs. A large number of cases are not reported because most people
with chlamydia do not have symptoms and do not seek testing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends yearly chlamydia testing
for all sexually active women age 25 or younger and older women with risk factors for
chlamydial infections (e.g., women who have a new or more than one sex partner), and all
pregnant women. Men who have sex with other men (MSM) should be tested for chlamydia
each year and MSM who have multiple and/or anonymous sex partners should be tested more
frequently.
Free EPT chlamydia antibiotics and condoms are available through VCPH’s Communicable
Disease program, 2240 East Gonzalez Road, Room #220, Oxnard. For more information, call:
805.981.5201. In addition, VCPH’s HIV/AIDS Program offers HIV testing. For an appointment,
call: 805.652.3342
For more information on STDs, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention STD
page: http://www.cdc.gov/STD/.
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