Increased Funding for Prevention is Critical to Reversing Skyrocketing STD Rates

Statement by Julie Rabinovitz, President + CEO of Essential Access Health

“On the heels of a new report just out from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) – showing a 45 percent increase in cases of Chlamydia, gonorrhea and early syphilis, as compared to five years ago – it’s shocking that the Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services failed to include an increase for STD prevention in its budget proposal released today.

“California has the dubious distinction of ranking first among all states in the number of STD cases. The prevalence of congenital syphilis has skyrocketed, increasing more than 500 percent over past years. Sadly, CDPH reported 30 stillbirths directly resulting from congenital syphilis.

“Approximately $1 billion in state and federal resources are spent annually on health costs associated with STDs in California.

“While the Senate Budget Sub-Committee failed to act to address this growing public health crisis, we are calling on the Assembly Budget Sub-Committee to do the right thing and include a needed boost in resources for STD prevention. We know we have the resources to have an impact, now we need the leadership to reverse this course and to get the job done in the final budget.”

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Essential Access Health (Essential Access) champions and promotes quality sexual and reproductive health care for all. Essential Access achieves its mission through an umbrella of programs and services, including health center support initiatives, provider training, advanced clinical research, public policy and outreach, and awareness campaigns. As the administrator of the nation’s largest and most diverse Title X system in the country, Essential Access partners with a robust provider network that collectively serves over 1,000,000 low-income Californians each year at more than 350 health centers across the state.