Gutierrez 1

Alex Gutierrez

Mrs. Morales

English II 10

8 December 2017

Unknown Infection

With the different types of diseases that are out there and the many different ways of

obtaining those disease, it is hard to make sure your body is completely safe. The people of

Fresno need to be ​aware of what is occurring​ in their own city. Chlamydia is the highest

sexually transmitted infection(STI) in Fresno. Kids in school are not fully informed of ​this

growing infection.​ ​The symptoms of this infection can remain hidden to the infected

because these symptoms are not obvious.​ The people of Fresno are unaware of the dangerous

infection known as Chlamydia ​and the details of this infection need to be recognized.

First and foremost, ​C​hlamydia is the highest ​ranked ​sexually transmitted infection(STI)

in Fresno. Chlamydia is the basis of 608.2/100,000 cases in the city of Fresno. ​In all of

California, Fresno is responsible for the highest Chlamydia rate.​ Also, social media is

fuelling this increasing number of infections. ​As the social media trends are evolving and

increasing, the rise in the amount of sexual partners also rises due to more connections.

Social media is allowing people to communicate with each other even when they are ​far apart.

Social media is allowing people to create new relationships with different people which ​allows

the rates of Chlamydia to rise.

Furthermore, kids in school are not fully aware of these types of infections or how to

prevent them. Over half of the infections in Fresno are in 15-24 year olds. ​Sexually transmitted
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infections and diseases need to be discussed during sex-ed because students need to be

informed before it is too late.​ Sex-ed does not go over all components of safe sex. ​“State

health officials cite less condom use, people having sex with more partners and barriers to

care and testing as reasons for the rising STD rates.”(Anderson)​ Sex-ed ​also ​does not go

over all types of infections and diseases. Schools need to inform students of ways to prevent

infections or the types of infections that are out there. There are many prevention tools that

sometimes help with this problem, “Use a male latex condom or a female polyurethane condom

during each sexual contact. Condoms used properly during every sexual encounter reduce but

don't eliminate the risk of infection”(Mayo Clinic). Sex-ed does not provide the proper

information that would help with teaching what needs to be known by everybody.

Although, some people believe that these numbers ​in Fresno are acceptable​. ​The

people of Fresno who are unaware of how dangerous this infection is either support this

cause or do not even care.​ ​Chlamydia has been a problem in Fresno for a total of 20 years

and has been growing ever since.​ As more people continue to disregard these numbers, these

numbers will continue to grow. Anderson ​from the Fresno Bee​ regards the point, “The report

found an 11.6 percent increase in STDs from 2014, with a total of 249,224 reportable cases in

California for 2015,” allowing readers to see that ​from​ 2014 to 2015, rates grew an astonishing

amount. That number is not going down and the people of Fresno need to do something about it.

In addition, people who have Chlamydia ​can sometimes be​ unaware ​that ​they have the

infection. The infection is usually symptomless. “ If you do have symptoms, they may not appear

until several weeks after you have sex with an infected partner. Even when ​C​hlamydia causes no

symptoms, it can damage your reproductive system.” (“Chlamydia”, CDC Fact sheet) If
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symptoms were to occur, they would usually include, pain when urinating, pain in the abdomen,

nausea, and pain during intercourse. People need regular screenings, but some do not get them.

Regular screenings are needed to make sure they are up-to-date on their own body. Antibiotics

cannot repair permanent damage that has been done by this disease already. So, screenings are

needed to make sure Chlamydia does not get to this point.

To sum up, Fresno needs to know what is going on in their own city. Fresno has the

highest rates and this cause needs to be fixed. The people of Fresno need to be informed of the

dangerous infection known as Chlamydia. ​It all comes down to the kids at school. Schools

need to be more informative of what can happen to their bodies without protection.

Students must also learn the consequences that can happen when certain actions are made.

The rate of Chlamydia in Fresno needs to change because these rates are through the roof

and are harmful to our environment.

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Works Cited

Andersonbanderson@fresnobee.com, Barbara. “California's Sexually Transmitted Diseases Hit

20-Year High, Fresno Co. among the Worst.” ​Fresnobee​,

www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article110375297.html.

“Chlamydia Trachomatis.” ​Mayo Clinic​, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research,

17 Nov. 2017,

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chlamydia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355349.\

“Chlamydia.” ​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention​, Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, 4 Oct. 2017, www.cdc.gov/std/chlamydia/stdfact-chlamydia.htm.

Majaski, Christina. “Social Media to Blame for an Increase in Chlamydia among All Age

Groups.” ​Digital Trends​, 10 Nov. 2015,

www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/increase-chlamydia-social-media/.