Sexually Transmitted Infections in Napa County

For many people, sexual health is an uncomfortable topic to talk about. It may feel awkward, but let's not forget that sexual health is just that- health. Whatever the reason that makes these conversations difficult, the hope is to have the ability to speak comfortably about all aspects of our health, sexual included. 

STIs are infections that are passed through vaginal, anal, and oral forms of sexual contact. There are a wide array of STIs and causes, but this page will focus on 4 diseases- chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and mpox (formerly known as monkeypox). 

Chlamydia is caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria. The California Department of Public Health has noted that chlamydia is the most highly reported bacterial STI in the state. Asymptomatic infections (no signs or symptoms) are common with this disease, which makes it difficult to prevent. To learn about symptoms, treatments, and more, click on the photo above.  

Gonorrhea is caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria. This disease is less common than chlamydia, but has seen overall increases in cases over the past decade. It has also become more antimicrobial resistant overtime- the bacteria is resisting the effects of many of our treatments and medications.  Like chlamydia, infections can be asymptomatic. To learn about symptoms, treatments, and more, click on the photo above.  

Syphilis is caused by the Treponema pallidum bacteria. It, too, is less prevalent than chlamydia, but has seen striking increases in cases over the past decade, similar to gonorrhea. This bacteria can cross some of the barriers in our bodies like the blood-brain barrier or the placenta, leading to neurological issues or congenital syphilis. To learn about symptoms, treatments, and more, click on the photo above.  

The chart to the left displays the total number of bacterial STI cases seen in Napa County. Nationwide, chlamydia is the highest reported bacterial STI. While this trend holds true for Napa County, case counts have remained relatively stable.

Gonorrhea and syphilis are both less prevalent in the county than chlamydia, a trend which is reflected nationally, but both diseases are showing overall increasing trends. 

The graph to the right shows the total number of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis infections by race. Napa has a large white, non-Hispanic or Latine population, so it makes sense to see high case counts in this population. "Other" races have a large number of case counts as well- unfortunately, the data collected does not further elaborate on racial/ethnic breakdowns.

The chart to the left shows the age distribution of STI cases in Napa County- the most impacted age groups of STI infections ranges from 15-29 years old. According to the CDC, half of the bacterial STI cases nationwide were among individuals aged 15-24 years old, which is reflected by our county's data.

The pie charts below show the sex (left) and sexual orientation (right) of individuals who have had an STI in Napa County. Sexual orientation was designated through the sex of the individual along with the sex of their partners. Often, this information is not captured, leading to a lot of uncertainty and unknowns- hence the large number of "Unknown" in the pie chart below. An individual who is "MSM" is a male who has sex with males, whereas "WSW" is a woman who has sex with other women. An individual who was designated "possibly heterosexual" was missing some information which prevented us from knowing for sure if they are heterosexual.

Mpox is an infection caused by the mpox virus. Infections typically only occurred in Western Africa where transmission happened primarily through animal-to-human contact, whereas the recent epidemic was driven through sexual contact. By July 2022, 16 thousand cases had been identified in 75 different countries. California has seen over 6,000 cases, but Napa specifically has seen less than 20. To learn more about mpox, click on the image. 

Cases of mpox have drastically decreased in comparison to the peak amount of cases during 2022. For that reason, public health tries to detect whether or not the genetic pieces of the virus are present in a wastewater sample. The chart to the left shows wastewater data and whether or not the genetic material has been detected. When there is a positive detection, there will be a red vertical bar. A detection does not necessarily mean there is an infectious case circulating in Napa County- we should interpret a detection as detecting the genetic material of the virus instead. 

You should get in contact with your physician or primary care provider for treatment options. You should also inform your recent sex partners of the positive test- you can do so anonymously through websites like TellYourPartner.org. To prevent transmission, you should refrain from sexual contact and re-test to ensure you have cleared the disease. More information can be found here. Your local health department may reach out to conduct an interview, depending upon the disease diagnosed.