Gonorrhea rates spike in Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties - Battle Creek Enquirer

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There were 432 cases of gonorrhea recorded last year in Calhoun County, the highest total since 2004, according to data from the Calhoun County Public Health Department.

That's an infection rate of about one in every 265 people.

The Kalamazoo County Health Department reported 1,027 cases, their highest rate since Michigan began tracking gonorrhea data in 1997.

The local increases are part of a rise in gonorrhea infections statewide. Reports in Michigan hit 16,922 in 2018, a 43% increase since 2014.

But local infection rates are about twice as high as in the state as a whole.  

“It’s a nationwide problem,” said Dr. William Nettleton, medical director for Kalamazoo and Calhoun County Public Health Departments. “But it’s an even bigger problem in this part of the state.”

Why are the rates so high?

Public health officials are investigating possible reasons for the rise, Nettleton said. Most of their ideas are theories right now.

“Everyone is trying to investigate right now because the rates leveled off there for a little bit, but now they are as high as ever,” he said.

One theory links the rise of gonorrhea rates with the emergence of dating apps, Nettleton said. More people have trouble identifying the partner that gave them the sexually transmitted infection because dating apps limit knowledge of partners and often increase the number of sexual partners, Nettleton said.

“If you don’t know who you’re having sex with, then we can’t identify the source of the infection,” he said.

Another theory is that people with substance abuse issues are more likely to have unprotected sex and contract a sexually transmitted disease, Nettleton said.

“It’s simply a hypothesis right now,” Nettleton said. “Officials are going to continue to look into these things.”

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms for gonorrhea include pain when urinating, rectal bleeding and discharge when urinating among others, Nettleton said. He added that it sometimes takes days for symptoms to become apparent, but the person can still pass it on while they are not showing symptoms.

“This is a big problem when it comes to spreading,” he said.

Gonorrhea can be passed through vaginal sex and anal sex and also through oral sex, which Nettleton thinks many people are unaware of.

“I think people are educated enough to know that it’s spread through traditional vaginal sex,” he said. “But it’s also spread through oral sex. I think that’s forgotten.”

What is Decimated Gonorrhea Infection?

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recently reported six cases of a rare type of gonorrhea infection, decimated gonorrhea infection, across Michigan.

Four of those reports were in Kalamazoo County and one was in Calhoun County.

A decimated gonorrhea infection spreads throughout the person’s body, which causes pain in joints and skin, alongside other gonorrhea symptoms. It can also cause a fever, Nettleton said.

The rare infection requires hospitalization.

DGI occurs in about 0.5-3% of people who have contracted gonorrhea. Nettleton said the rarity of the infection makes it extremely abnormal for there to be these many cases in such a small area.

“You don’t usually see several cases in such a short time and place,” he said. “There’s something unusual going on here.”

What can you do to prevent it?

Nettleton said there are three basic ways to protect against gonorrhea: abstaining from sex, lowering the number of sexual partners and using barrier contraceptives such as condoms.

The Kalamazoo County Public Health Center has testing at all their clinic sites across the Calhoun and Kalamazoo Counties that are open to the public.

Alternatives Care Center describes themselves as a Christian sexual health and healthy pregnancy support organization.

They offer free testing at their Battle Creek and Kalamazoo locations and work with the Calhoun County Public Health Department if a client tests positive.

The organization teaches clients about sexual health through "avoiding sexual risk," said Amanda Hughes, Battle Creek center director, and offers free treatment to clients who test positive for an sexually transmitted infection.

"You can avoid sexual risk by building healthy relationships," she said. "That's our focus."

The county health departments are urging citizens to get tested immediately if they have gonorrhea symptoms, especially decimated gonorrhea infection symptoms, to prevent spreading.

“If you’re unsure, it doesn’t hurt to come in and get tested,” Nettleton said.

They have also created a “STD Toolkit” on their website that has all the county’s information on sexually transmitted diseases, how to get tested, expert contacts, prevention techniques and a list of symptoms.

“We are trying to do whatever it takes to put an end to this trend,” Nettleton said.

Contact Brooks Hepp at (269) 223-0114 or bhepp@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BrooksHepp.

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