Valentine’s Day is a time for a memorable time of romance, love, and intimacy. While it’s easy to focus on flowers, chocolates and wine, health departments nationwide are urging people to avoid making a sexually transmitted infection one of the holiday’s lasting memories.
Amid a nationwide increase in sexually transmitted infections, many state and local health departments are advising people to practice safe sex. That includes talking with their partner as well as their healthcare provider about sexual health, getting tested regularly for all STIs, including HIV, and using a condom.
“Condoms are key for preventing STIs,” says Felicia Bendolph-Simmons, nurse manager for the Arlington, Virginia, Health Department. “We have to remember that birth control only prevents pregnancy — not STIs.”
At the same time, HIV Pre-exposure prophylaxis — a breakthrough drug that blocks transmission of the virus that causes AIDS — “only prevents HIV,” she says. “To prevent the spread of all STIs, we encourage people to use condoms.”
Increased Rates of Infection
STIs are spread through sexual contact, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex. The infections include chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, HIV, human papillomavirus, and syphilis.
Data shows the country is experiencing increased rates of STI infections.
In 2022, more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That year, the CDC reported, the data showed an 80% increase in syphilis cases alone over a five-year period.
That overall number dropped a bit in 2023 with roughly 2.4 million STI cases reported. However, according to the CDC, in 2023, Black people had just over 32% of all cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, despite being only about 13% of the population.
The Danger of Asymptomatic STIs
Many STIs don’t have immediately noticeable symptoms or are asymptomatic, so a person could be infected without knowing it. The long-term effects of STIs or full-blown sexually transmitted diseases can include infertility, chronic pain and an increased susceptibility of contracting other infections.
In Alexandria, rates of STIs rose steadily in the early 2010s. The city’s Health Department reports that it can’t pinpoint the reason STI rates increased, but it does know that safe-sex habits can protect people from infection.
Health departments nationwide are following suit, urging residents to protect themselves and their loved ones on Valentine’s Day. Some are offering condoms and other paraphernalia to help encourage safer sex practices.
Dr. Michelle Morse, New York City’s acting health commissioner said in a statement that, left undiagnosed or untreated, STIs “can cause serious health problems” for residents. To help, the city’s health department is offering free safer sex products at locations citywide.
“Enjoy your Valentine’s Day free from worry about risk of STIs, with a little help from the Health Department,” she said.
Steps to Maintain Sexual Health
Other recommended steps to maintain sexual health start with getting vaccinated to help prevent Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Human Papillomavirus (HPV), meningitis, and monkeypox, or mpox, infections.
In-home test kits are sold in pharmacies nationwide and are offered at locations across the country.
Asking a healthcare provider for information about PrEP and doxy-PEP can help reduce the risk of getting HIV through sex or sharing needles.
HIV PrEP treatment can be a daily pill, a pill taken around the time of sex, or an injectable medication taken once every two months.
Doxy-PEP is an antibiotic that can be taken after potential exposure to an STI. It’s been shown to cut the chances of contracting syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia dramatically.