Could Westward Migration Mean STI Accumulation?
The Front Range’s growing population could certainly mean crazier traffic, higher rental rates, and a lot more cannabis sales in the future. But we’re curious: Could this same trend apply to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Colorado?
Denver’s booming population has been a frequent topic of discussion in the media, with special focus on the city’s surge in young professionals. I myself am a member of this invading group. When picking where to live after pharmacy school, I remember looking at a magazine article listing the year’s top ten cities for new college graduates. Near the top of the list was Denver, being athletic, educated, and welcomingly gay. I was smitten, as I’m sure most transplants are when they enter this beautiful state.
However, could this massive arrival of my lustful peers signal the warning bells for an rise in STI infections? After all, men and women between the ages of 18 and 24 are the most affected by STIs, and more young people could mean more sex. To help answer this question, I spoke with Rebecca Jordan-Yehle, Program Manager for the STI/HIV/Viral Hepatitis Branch at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
According to Rebecca, Colorado actually compares favorably to the nation in terms of its infection rates. “STI rates are increasing nationally,” she says. “Our increases don’t match the nation’s — it’s actually smaller overall.” Although our trends are increasing along with the rest of the country, the magnitude has less of a relative impact here.
Despite the fact that our area is experiencing an increase in both population and STI rates, it’s pretty difficult to determine whether these two variables are truly interconnected. She put it simply: “We’re talking about human behavior that is always dynamic and complex.”
As such, there are many factors that could explain our state’s uptick in STIs. As she points out, increased testing could be just one of many possible reasons for the increased number of infection diagnoses in Colorado. Therefore, it’s almost impossible for CDPHE to hazard a prediction regarding the effect our population boom could have in the future.
Whether or not our population expansion has an effect, she makes an excellent point about how to keep ourselves safe.
“It’s up to each of us to individually know what level of risk we are putting ourselves at for STIs,” she says. “If you are engaging in behaviors that put you at risk, you need to think about ways to prevent getting an infection.” This means using condoms, communication, PrEP, or other methods to stop infections before they start.
Thankfully, Rebecca and her colleagues at the CDPHE continually collect in-depth records on Colorado’s STI rates. “In the next two to three months,” she reports, “the five-year trending tables will be available online,” giving the department a chance to review the STI data and look for any long-term patterns.
Maybe they’ll find a correlation between our population increase and STI rates, maybe they won’t. But in the meantime, it’s important to protect ourselves and consider welcoming the new members of our Colorado family with open arms.
