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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
DESIGNATING APRIL AS STI AWARENESS MONTH AND APRIL 14-20, 2023 AS STI AWARENESS WEEK IN COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, April is designated as National STI Awareness Month; and
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control designates the 2nd week in April as STI Awareness Week with the theme with the theme Talk, Test, Treat, an opportunity to raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and how they impact our lives; reduce STI-related stigma, fear, and discrimination; and ensure people have the tools and knowledge for prevention, testing, and treatment; and
WHEREAS, anyone who is sexually active can get an STI, so it is important to learn more about them and how to minimize your exposure to STIs and take care of your sexual health; and
WHEREAS, according to the CDC, the STI epidemic continues to worsen, and the 2022 Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Surveillance Report underscores that STIs must be a public health priority as more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in the United States, the 7th time in 8 years that the total number of reported cases was higher than the previous year; and
WHEREAS, according to the 2022 report, 50.5% of reported cases of STIs occurred among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 years. The report also showed significant disparities in rates of reported STIs, including among gay and bisexual men, younger people and certain racial minority groups with 31% of all cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and P&S syphilis reported among non-Hispanic Black people, even though they made up only approximately 12% of the U.S. population, and Native American or Alaska Native people made up 3.6% of all congenital syphilis cases despite contributing to less than 1% of all live births in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, it is estimated that about 20 percent of the U.S. population, approximately one in five people in the U.S. had an STI on any given day in 2018, and STIs acquired that...
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