With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the Berrien County Health Department is reminding everyone of the importance of practicing safe sex.
Department clinical and community health services supervisor Dionne Rigozzi tells us the county has seen an increase in sexually transmitted infections. She says the increase has been across the board and includes gonorrhea and chlamydia, but syphilis is a particular concern.
“The data from 2023 did definitely note an increase in syphilis cases, especially among our pregnant moms,” Rigozzi said. “So, congenital syphilis is on the rise.”
Treating syphilis involves a series of injections over three weeks. However, syphilis isn’t the only concern.
Rigozzi says the reason behind the increase in STIs is simply that people are having unprotected sex, and they don’t know the history of their partners.
“If folks are meeting people online and they’re back in the dating field — I have friends and family that are widowed and divorced, for just an example, and that are out trying to meet people, and if you don’t know their history, you don’t know.”
Rigozzi says safe sex is critical, reminding everyone the health department offers condoms. Also, it offers STI testing, seeing about 80 clients per month. Rigozzi says the cost is based on the patient’s income, and no one is turned away due to an inability to pay. She says people should also be talking about STIs with their doctors.
