Florida: Orange County Sees Sharp Increase in STDs in 2005

Recently released data show Orange County posted a sharp increase in chlamydia and gonorrhea cases in 2005. According to the county's Health Department, chlamydia cases rose by 22.3 percent, from 3,407 in 2004 to 4,166 last year. Gonorrhea cases jumped 23 percent, from 1,622 cases in 2004 to 1,994 in 2005. By comparison, Miami-Dade, which has twice the population of Orange County, reported 3,947 chlamydia cases and 1,652 gonorrhea infections last year. Orange also saw a 44 percent increase in syphilis cases, from 136 in 2004 to 196 in 2005.

"The data suggest there has been a substantial rise," said Bill Toth, a Health Department epidemiologist. "It means we need to redouble our efforts" in prevention and screening for the diseases, he said.

Toth said the growing use of crystal methamphetamine could be contributing to the rise in STDs, as use of the drug has been shown to increase promiscuity.

Other Central Florida counties did not record as great an increase in STDs as Orange County, state data showed. Lake County reported a 17.5 percent rise in chlamydia cases, from 418 in 2004 to 491 last year; Brevard County saw a 14 percent rise in gonorrhea cases, from 432 in 2004 to 494 in 2005; and Volusia County had a 1.9 percent increase in gonorrhea cases and a 7.5 percent decrease in chlamydia cases.

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