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Federal Funding for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs Abruptly Cut

Earlier this month, 81 organizations that currently receive funding from Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) were notified by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) this funding would end June 30, 2018. The notice came as a surprise, as these programs were awarded five-year grants in 2015—totaling $213.6 million—with an original end date of June 30, 2020.

As reported in Reveal, from the Center for Investigative Reporting, several grantees were told by officials at the DHHS Office of Adolescent Health that the decision to eliminate funding came from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. It’s current head is recent Trump appointee Valerie Huber, who comes to the position from the National Abstinence Education Association (recently renamed Ascend) that has rebranded abstinence as “sexual risk avoidance” and promotes this as poverty reduction. As Martha Kempner writes at Rewire, “Teen parents are, in fact, more likely to live in poverty than their peers who have children at a later age. But suggesting that avoiding all sex until marriage will prevent you from being poor later in life is an extreme message not based in research.”

These preemptive funding cuts, which Reveal notes were done outside the traditional federal budget process, leave the future of these evidence-based program in question. Learn more at Reveal.

Experts Suggest Little to Worry about in Study Linking HSV2 and Autism

shutterstock_323279300CNN and other outlets have run articles on a recently published paper linking high levels of antibody to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2, the main cause of genital herpes) in pregnant women with an increased risk their baby will later be found to have autism. The authors of the paper believe the potential link isn’t that the virus interacts directly with the fetus, but could be due to an inflammatory response HSV2 causes in the mother that may ultimately interfere with the development of the baby’s nervous system.

The response to these findings has been mixed with several leading experts (including ASHA’s medical and scientific advisors) believing many unanswered questions remain and agreeing that much more research would be needed to validate these results.

“Women who have HSV2 and who are pregnant, or planning pregnancy, should not be alarmed by this study” says Anna Wald, MD, MPH of the University of Washington. “While we need to continue to investigate the reasons for autism, I am not convinced by this study that there is a link between antibody levels to HSV in mid-pregnancy and the risk of autism.”

Bottom line: most pregnant women with HSV2 have normal pregnancies and deliver healthy babies.  Many HSV researchers and clinical experts aren’t overly concerned by these findings and don’t think women should be, either. As always, talk to your health care provider if you have questions. You can read more about herpes and pregnancy from the University of Washington Virology Research Clinic and also ASHA’s Herpes Resource Center.

National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This national awareness day was first launch in 2008 by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), as a way to draw attention to the disproportionate impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on gay men. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 57% of the 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States are gay and bisexual men, even though they only account for approximately 2% of the overall population.

There are many ways you can get involved and mark the day. See below for a range of resource on learning more about HIV/AIDS, getting tested, and finding resources that can help.

  • Learn about HIV, from how it is transmitted to how you can get tested.
  • Check out the many campaigns of the CDC:
    • Start Talking. Stop HIV. The campaign encourages open and honest conversations about HIV and how to prevent it—testing, disclosure, condom use—among gay and bisexual men, with the goal of reducing new HV infections among this population.
    • Testing Makes Us Stronger. Developed with input from black gay and bisexual men across the country, this national campaign promotes HIV testing among black gay and bisexual men.
    • Reasons/Razones. This bilingual (English/Spanish) campaign encourages HIV testing among Latino gay and bisexual men.
    • HIV Treatment Works. A campaign to encourage people living with HIV to get in care, start taking HIV medications, remain in care, and adhere to treatment.
  • Find out about how the Affordable Care Act helps people living with HIV/AIDS.
  • Follow ASHA on Facebook and Twitter and share #NGMHAAD posts and updates.

Get Tested

The only way to tell you have HIV is get tested for the virus. Knowing your HIV status has two vital benefits. Firstly, if you are HIV positive, you can take necessary steps before symptoms appear to access treatment, care and support services, thereby potentially prolonging your life for many years. Secondly if you know you are infected, you can take all the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of HIV to others. The more you know about your own health and well being the better able you are able to take care of yourself and the people you love.

To find a place near you where you can get tested, simply enter your zip code in the box below and hit Go. You can also learn more about HIV testing here.

<a href="http://www.cdcnpin.org/stdawareness/widget_locator_1/zip_finder_map.swf">Find STD Testing Sites</a>

Stay Safe

In any intimate relationship, ask yourself:

  • Have they ever hit or slapped me?
  • Have they ever grabbed or threatened me, or made me feel afraid?
  • Do they demand to know where I go and who I see?
  • Do they talk to me in a way that isn’t nice, or that puts me down?
  • Do they always have to have their own way?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may be in a relationship that isn’t good for you. The good news is you can stop dating abuse.

If you are being abused, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Remember, you didn’t do anything wrong, and you’re not the problem. Talk with someone you’re comfortable with. Call a hotline (see below). If you ever feel that you’re in immediate danger, get away and call 911.

If you abuse, you can choose to stop. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3223 (TTY).

Tips for staying safe

  • Get to know someone before going out. At first go to public places like a movie, restaurant, or park.
  • Let someone know whom you’re with and where you’ll be going, especially with a new partner or a first date.
  • Take your cell phone on a date. Have some cash in case you need to get home on your own.
  • For teenagers, date someone who’s close to your own age. Dates who are older sometimes are more aggressive about sex, or more likely to be abusive and controlling.
  • At any age, be careful when you meet someone online. Don’t give away personal information, such as your real name or where you live. Remember, people on the Internet sometimes are not what they say they are.

Get Help

  • National Sexual Assault Hotline
    1-800-656-HOPE(1-800-656-4673)
    You can always reach your local rape crisis center directly by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE
  • National Sexual Assault Online Hotline
    The National Sexual Assault Online Hotline is a free, confidential, secure service that provides live help over the RAINN website.
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
    1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233) Help is also available online (9AM—7PM CST, Monday through Friday).
  • RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network)
    Among its programs, RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE. This nationwide partnership of more than 1,100 local rape treatment hotlines provides victims of sexual assault with free, confidential services around the clock.
  • Girl’s Health
    This site from the Office of Women’s Health offers teens skills for building strong and healthy relationships of all types.
  • MaleSurvivor
    MaleSurvivor provides resources and support for men who were sexually victimized as children, adolescents, or adults. It’s not easy for male victims of sexual assault to come forward and seek help. MaleSurvivor’s Chris Anderson tells us how his organization works to safely bring them out of the shadows.

Statistics

STIs

  • One in two sexually active persons will contract an STI by age 25.1
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 20 million new STIs occur every year in this country, half of those among young people aged 15–24. 2
  • Even though young people account for half of new STI cases, a recent survey showed only about 12% were tested for STIs in the last year.3
  • CDC estimates that undiagnosed STIs cause 24,000 women to become infertile each year.4
  • The total estimated direct cost of STIs annually in the U.S. about $16 billion.5

HPV

  • Researchers estimate that at least 80% of sexually active people will have an HPV infection at some point in their lifetime.6
  • CDC data for 2013–2014 show that about 42% of men and 40% of women aged 18-59 had genital HPV at that time.7
  • HPV is responsible for approximately 31,500 cases of cancer each year, including nearly all cases of cervical and anal cancer, about 75% of vaginal cancer, 70% of oropharyngeal cancer, and 69% of vulvar cancer.8
  • Within 6 years of the introduction of the first HPV vaccine, there was a 64% decrease in HPV prevalence among females aged 14 to 19 years and a 34% decrease among those aged 20 to 24 years.9

Herpes

  • Herpes infection is common. About 1 in 8 people aged 14-49 in the U.S. has genital herpes.10
  • About 1 in 2 people ages 14-49 in the U.S. are infected with HSV-1, which is the typical cause of oral herpes. However, increasing numbers of genital herpes cases are caused by HSV-1.11
  • Symptoms of genital herpes often go unnoticed. Most people with genital herpes—close to 90%—don’t know they have the infection. 12
  • Globally, researchers estimate that about two-thirds of the population under age 50—more than 3.7 billion people–are infected with HSV-1. Some 140 million people aged 15-49 are infected with genital HSV-1, primarily in the Americas, Europe and Western Pacific.13

Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis

  • In 2015, rates of the three most common reportable STIs—chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis—reached a record high level. The approximately 1.5 million reported cases of chlamydia represent the highest number of annual cases of any condition ever reported to CDC.2
  • While CDC and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend annual chlamydia screening for sexually active young women ages 15-24, fewer than half of eligible women are screened according the guidelines.14
  • Young people ages 15 to 24 years old accounted for 65% of chlamydia diagnoses and 50% of gonorrhea diagnoses in 2015.2
  • During 2014–2015, rates of syphilis in both men and women increased in every region of the country.15
  • From 2013–2015, the reported gonorrhea infections increased each year. In 2015, a total of 395,216 cases were reported for a rate of 123.9 gonorrhea cases per 100,000 population.15
  • In women, undiagnosed and untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. (PID). According to CDC, 1 in 8 women with a history of PID experience difficulties getting pregnant.16

Hepatitis

  • CDC estimates that approximately 850,000 persons are living with hepatitis B in the U.S., although other studies have estimated this number to be as high as 2.2 million.17
  • The rate of new hepatitis B infections has declined by approximately 82% since 1991, when routine vaccination of children was first recommended.18
  • Of the more than 3 million people living with Hepatitis C, 3 out of every 4 are “Baby Boomers,” born from 1945-1965. Baby boomers are five times more likely to have Hepatitis C than other adults.19

HIV

  • According to CDC, 1.1 million people in the US are living with HIV, and 1 in 7 of them don’t know it.20
  • In 2015, 39,513 people were diagnosed with HIV infection in the U.S. in 2015.20
  • In 2013, an estimated 42% of Americans living with diagnosed HIV were aged 50 and older, 25% were aged 55 and older, and 6% were aged 65 and older.21
  • Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, involves talking a daily medication to prevent HIV infection in people who are HIV-negative. When taken consistently, PrEP has shown to reduce HIV infection risk by up to 92%.22
References

  1. Cates JR, Herndon NL, Schulz S L, Darroch JE. (2004). Our voices, our lives, our futures: Youth and sexually transmitted diseases. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
  2. CDC Fact Sheet: Reported STDs in the United States 2015 National Data for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis.
  3. Cuffe, Kendra M. et al. Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States Journal of Adolescent Health 2016, 58(5), 512-519
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the United States, 2008
  5. CDC Fact Sheet: Incidence, Prevalence, and Cost of Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United States.
  6. Chesson HW, Dunne EF, Hariri S, Markowitz LE. The estimated lifetime probability of acquiring human papillomavirus in the United States. Sex Transm Dis. 2014 Nov;41 (11):660-4.
  7. Prevalence of HPV in Adults Aged 18–69: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS Data Brief No. 280, April 2017
  8. Saraiya M, et al. US assessment of HPV types in cancers: implications for current and 9-valent HPV vaccines. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2015;107:djv086.
  9. Markowitz, LE et al. Prevalence of HPV After Introduction of the Vaccination Program in the United States. Pediatrics Feb 2016, peds.2015-1968.
  10. McQuillan G, Kruszon-Moran D, Flagg EW, Paulose-Ram R. Prevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 in persons aged 14–49: United States, 2015–2016. NCHS Data Brief, no 304. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018.
  11. Bradley H, Markowitz LE, Gibson T, McQuillan GM. Seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2—United States, 1999-2010. J Infect Dis. 2014 Feb 1;209(3):325-33.
  12. Fanfair RN, Zaidi A, Taylor LD, Xu F, Gottlieb S, Markowitz L. Trends in seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 among non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites aged 14 to 49 years-United States, 1988 to 2010. Sex Transm Dis. 2013 Nov;40(11):860-4.
  13. Looker KJ, Magaret AS, May MT, Turner KME, Vickerman P, Gottlieb SL, et al. (2015) Global and Regional Estimates of Prevalent and Incident Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infections in 2012. PLoS ONE 10(10): e0140765.
  14. The State of Health Care Quality Report, 2016. The National Committee for Quality Assurance.
  15. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2015. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2016.
  16. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)—CDC Fact Sheet
  17. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveillance for Viral Hepatitis—United States, 2015.
  18. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis B FAQs for Health Professionals.
  19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis C and Baby Boomers (1945-1965)
  20. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV in the United States: At a Glance.
  21. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV Among People Aged 40 and Older.
  22. Grant RM,et al. Preexposure chemoprophylaxis for HIV prevention in men who have sex with men. N Engl J Med. 2010 Dec 30;363(27):2587-99.

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