NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WECT) -
North Carolina is dealing with a Syphilis epidemic and New Hanover County is also seeing an increase in the disease, according to health educators at the New Hanover County Health Department.
“Currently, for the state of North Carolina, Syphilis rates are at an all time high, we haven’t seen these rates since the 1990s,” said Richelle Fonville, the Health Educator for the New Hanover County Health Department. “We are seeing a very high increase. It started last year, and it hasn’t decreased yet, through all the testing we are doing throughout the state and county the Syphilis rates are still up high."
Fonville said sharing needles to use drugs is one of the main reasons why.
“We have noticed it is from the injection drug use,” Fonville said.
Sharing needles is also one of the reasons New Hanover County has a high number of Hepatitis C cases.
She documents a lot of the new cases at the New Hanover County Jail, where they offer testing.
“We test at our local jail. What I hear from our local inmates there, they share needles. When they share needles they can pass along Syphilis, HIV, Hepatitis C. Lots of times they share needles with spouses or their friends or family members and that’s not good," Fonville stated.
Hepatitis C has a cure and Syphilis can be treated if caught early.
The Health Department will be offering free testing Thursday, June 23 from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. a the Rite Aid on Dawson Street.
"It's in a location that we see levels of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis C and risky behaviors that can lead to those activities," Fonville said.
According to Fonville, when there is a rise in Syphilis cases as well as Hepatitis C, there is also the possibility for an increase in the number of HIV cases.
“They all are spread through blood. It makes us question and wonder will HIV cases will rise as well. It hasn’t yet, but there is a possibility that it could," Fonville concluded.
North Carolina is dealing with a Syphilis epidemic and New Hanover County is also seeing an increase in the disease, according to health educators at the New Hanover County Health Department.
“Currently, for the state of North Carolina, Syphilis rates are at an all time high, we haven’t seen these rates since the 1990s,” said Richelle Fonville, the Health Educator for the New Hanover County Health Department. “We are seeing a very high increase. It started last year, and it hasn’t decreased yet, through all the testing we are doing throughout the state and county the Syphilis rates are still up high."
Fonville said sharing needles to use drugs is one of the main reasons why.
“We have noticed it is from the injection drug use,” Fonville said.
Sharing needles is also one of the reasons New Hanover County has a high number of Hepatitis C cases.
She documents a lot of the new cases at the New Hanover County Jail, where they offer testing.
“We test at our local jail. What I hear from our local inmates there, they share needles. When they share needles they can pass along Syphilis, HIV, Hepatitis C. Lots of times they share needles with spouses or their friends or family members and that’s not good," Fonville stated.
Hepatitis C has a cure and Syphilis can be treated if caught early.
The Health Department will be offering free testing Thursday, June 23 from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. a the Rite Aid on Dawson Street.
"It's in a location that we see levels of HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis C and risky behaviors that can lead to those activities," Fonville said.
According to Fonville, when there is a rise in Syphilis cases as well as Hepatitis C, there is also the possibility for an increase in the number of HIV cases.
“They all are spread through blood. It makes us question and wonder will HIV cases will rise as well. It hasn’t yet, but there is a possibility that it could," Fonville concluded.
No comments:
Post a Comment