Health Department Receives Grant Money to Address STD Issue

The Knox County Health Department today announced the receipt of a $10,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health. It is anticipated that the funding will be used to create prevention initiatives to address the high rate of sexually transmitted diseases in Knox County.

The Knox County Health Department is seeking input from community members in regards to developing new sexually transmitted disease prevention strategies at its upcoming Sexual Health Committee meeting on January 17, 2008 at 4:00pm. The meeting will be held at the Knox County Health Department, located at 1361 West Fremont St, Galesburg. The Committee is seeking input from adolescents, parents, school personnel, medical professionals, faith community, and others who have an interest in reducing the rate of sexually transmitted diseases within Knox County.

“Knox County young adults are being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) at an alarming rate,” states Laura Fullerton, Director of Chronic Disease and Clinical Services for the Knox County Health Department. “The rates of infection within our community indicate that there continues to be a number of misconceptions, as well as a lack of knowledge concerning sexually transmitted disease,” said Fullerton. “The STD statistics obviously indicates that we have a tremendous public health challenge in Knox County.”

Locally, Knox County’s rate of infection for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia has increased dramatically since 2001. Knox County’s case rate of Chlamydia ranks 18th highest in Illinois; the case rate for gonorrhea ranks 13th highest. A majority of these infections are in the age range of 20-29 years.

According to Fullerton, “primary prevention of STDs begins with changing the sexual behaviors that place persons at risk for infection. Moreover, because STD control activities reduce the likelihood of transmission to sex partners, treatment of infected persons represents primary prevention of disease transmission.” The Health Department is working to identify strategies to address the cultural barriers which adversely impact STD prevention initiatives. “Although we are surrounded by sexual images by the entertainment media, the Internet, and magazines at the grocery counter; we still find it difficult to talk about sexuality” Fullerton said. Subsequently, the Sexual Health Committee is attempting to identify ways to overcome those cultural barriers in order to encourage parents to talk to their adolescents about sex and promote communication between physicians and patients concerning sexual risk behavior.

To share ideas or for more information about the Sexual Health Committee, please call the Knox County Health Department at (309) 344-2224, or visit our website at www.knoxcountyhealth.org.