Scott County, Iowa, is Full of STDs

The statistics are shocking.

Sometimes we have to face the cold, hard facts. I looked at these numbers and gasped.

According to countyhealthrankings.org, Scott County, Iowa is in the top 3 worst counties for STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections). Out of 100,000 population in Scott County, there was a rating of 555 and 936 newly diagnosed STI cases.

As you can see, out of the 99 counties in the state of Iowa, at the very end of the list, Scott County ranks 3rd.

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In this map from the same website, you'll see the darkest blues equal the worst counties with the worst STIs in the state.

And while I am glad Scott County isn't number 1 here, I also realize this is only reported incidences of chlamydia. The worst thought is 'what about all the other STDs/STIs that exist here that aren't reported?'

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"Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI in North America and is one of the major causes of tubal infertility, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, and chronic pelvic pain.[1,2] STIs are associated with a significantly increased risk of morbidity and mortality, including increased risk of cervical cancer, involuntary infertility, and premature death.[3] STIs also have a high economic burden on society."

According the WebMD.com, many do not even present symptoms of the STI and do not know they have it. When symptoms do show up, they are different for men and women. Click HERE for a full list of symptoms.

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As with a lot of things, prevention seems to be easier, less expensive and painful than treatment. Learn about preventing STIs HERE.

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