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Epidemiology Prospectus
STD Prevalence in Louisiana
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections that are transmitted through sexual contact, whether it be orally, vaginally, or rectally. STDs may fall into one of three categories: bacterial, viral, and parasitic. Although there are numerous STDs, the bacterial STDs, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia appear to be the most prevalent. STD testing appears to have begun as early as the late 19
th
century, with the discovery of gonococcus (gonorrhea) in gram stain cultures, by dermatologist and bacteriologist Albert Neisser (Ligon, 2005). Further testing was discovered in the early 20
th century by August Wassermann, a German bacteriologist and hygienist. He developed the Wassermann test, which was an antibody test for syphilis (Tampa et al., 2014). In 1928, penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming, and by the 1940s, was used as treatment for these bacterial STDs (Tan & Tatsumura, 2015). The number of STD cases in the
U.S. has risen significantly throughout the years. In the 1940s there were approximately 700,000 cases of STDs reported in the U.S., whereas in 2017 there were a reported 2.4 million cases nationwide (Pickering, 2019). For the purposes of this project we will focus on the prevalence of bacterial STDs in Louisiana.
Therefore, the question is what are the reasons behind the increasing cases of STDs in Louisiana? Our hypothesis is to identify the direct role of socio-economic factors such as education, resources, employment, community safety, and social support on the prevalence of STD. Socio-economic factors play a vital role in increasing STDs across Louisiana. Depending on the geographical location, there may not be enough testing centers or community programs in place. These are important aspects because treating and preventing unsafe sexual practices help to improve community safety. Furthermore, lack of employment and social support inhibit
