[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 204 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 204

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 5, 2011

  Ms. Lee of California submitted the following resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


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

Whereas sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (also known as sexually 
        transmitted diseases, or STDs) are a major public health challenge that 
        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 all people in the United States have an interest in STIs because every 
        community is impacted and everyone pays for the cost of these 
        infections, either directly or indirectly;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), STIs 
        impose a tremendous economic burden on the United States, costing the 
        healthcare system $16,400,000,000 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 in 2010, CDC data indicated that 1 in 6 Americans between the ages of 14 
        and 49 years old were infected with the Herpes Simplex virus Type 2, a 
        lifelong and incurable infection, and that African-American women 14-49 
        years old were the most affected group, with a prevalence rate of 48 
        percent;
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 men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be disproportionately 
        impacted by STIs, accounting for 62 percent of all syphilis cases in 
        2009 as compared to only 4 percent of such cases in 2000;
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 the CDC recommends screening for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea 
        at least once a year for MSM who are not in a long-term, mutually 
        monogamous relationship;
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 programs that provide comprehensive and medically accurate health 
        information and screening and treatment services can help people protect 
        themselves against STIs, including through a variety of Federal programs 
        such as Title X of the Public Health Service Act and the CDC's STD 
        prevention program;
Whereas school-based STI screening programs have been highly successful where 
        implemented and are effective at preventing the spread of STIs among 
        adolescents;
Whereas the sexual and reproductive health needs of men must be more thoroughly 
        recognized and better addressed by the public health and medical 
        provider community in order to more effectively combat the spread of 
        STIs;
Whereas STD programs in State and local health departments that are funded 
        through the CDCs Division of STD Prevention are the Nation's frontline 
        defense against the spread of STIs;
Whereas STI screening, vaccination, and other prevention strategies for sexually 
        active women should be among the highest public health priorities; and
Whereas the CDC observes April as ``National STD Awareness Month'': Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (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.
                                 <all>