[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 107 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 107

  Supporting the goals and ideals of ``National STD Awareness Month''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 23, 2009

  Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Meeks of New 
York, Ms. Kilpatrick of Michigan, Mr. McDermott, Ms. Baldwin, and Mrs. 
 Christensen) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Supporting the goals and ideals of ``National STD Awareness Month''.

Whereas sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (also known as sexually 
        transmitted diseases, or STDs) pose a significant burden in the United 
        States both in economic and human terms;
Whereas the United States has the highest rate of STIs in the industrialized 
        world, with an estimated 19,000,000 new cases occurring each year, and 
        almost half of those infections occurring in young people between the 
        ages of 15 to 24;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), STIs 
        impose a tremendous economic burden on the United States, with direct 
        medical costs as high as $15,900,000 per year;
Whereas, in 2008, the CDC estimated that 1 in 4 young women between the ages of 
        14 and 19 in the United States, or 3,200,000 teenage girls, and nearly 1 
        in 2 African-American young women are infected with at least one of the 
        most common sexually transmitted infections, which are human 
        papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, herpes simplex virus, and 
        trichomoniasis;
Whereas poverty and lack of access to quality health care exacerbate the rate of 
        infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other STIs;
Whereas racial disparities in rates of STIs are among the worst health 
        disparities in the Nation for any health condition;
Whereas most STIs have been associated with increased risk of HIV transmission 
        and are likely contributing to the ongoing HIV epidemic in the United 
        States;
Whereas the CDC also reports that the two most common STIs among young women are 
        HPV, with 18 percent infected, and chlamydia, with 4 percent infected;
Whereas the long-term health effects of these STIs are especially severe for 
        women and include infertility and cervical cancer;
Whereas vaccination, screening, and early treatment can prevent some of the most 
        devastating effects of STIs;
Whereas high STI infection rates in the United States demonstrate the need for 
        better ways to reach those most at risk of infection;
Whereas the CDC recommends annual chlamydia screenings for sexually active women 
        25 years of age and younger;
Whereas the CDC also recommends HPV vaccination for girls and women between the 
        ages of 11 and 26 who have not been vaccinated, or who have not 
        completed the full series of shots;
Whereas chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease chronic pelvic pain, 
        infertility, and tubular pregnancies, which can affect a woman's health 
        and well-being throughout her lifetime;
Whereas STIs can be transmitted from infected mothers to infants during 
        childbirth and can cause severe health consequences in these infants;
Whereas STIs often cause social stigma and may have a serious psychological 
        impact among those who are infected;
Whereas the Federal Government should help people protect themselves against 
        STIs by supporting programs providing comprehensive and medically 
        accurate health information and funding screening and treatment 
        services, including through a variety of programs such as under title X 
        of the Public Health Service Act and the CDC's STD prevention program;
Whereas STI screening, vaccination, and other prevention strategies for sexually 
        active women should be among our highest public health priorities; and
Whereas the CDC observes April as ``National STD Awareness Month'': Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of ``National STD 
        Awareness Month'';
            (2) encourages the Federal Government, States, localities, 
        and nonprofit organizations to observe the month with 
        appropriate programs and activities, with the goal of 
        increasing public knowledge of the risks of sexually 
        transmitted infections (STIs) and protecting people of all 
        ages;
            (3) recognizes the human toll of STIs and the importance of 
        making the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of STIs an 
        urgent public health priority; and
            (4) calls on all people in the United States to learn about 
        STIs and the prevention approaches recommended for them and 
        encourages all sexually active individuals to get tested for 
        STIs and to seek appropriate care if they are infected.
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