As I began to write this article, I asked friends in my journalism class if they knew what the Shigella Epidemic was. When asked, they shrugged their shoulders, a confused look crossed their face, and ¨I have never even heard of that¨ passed their lips with an unsure smile.
Due to a lack of Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) education in the United States, and across the globe, STI epidemics such as Shigellosis often go unnoticed. A more comprehensive and widespread education of these infections, such as the Shigella epidemic, is necessary to spread awareness and save lives.
According to the New York Department of Health, Shigellosis is a bowel infection caused by the bacteria Shigella. It causes diarrhea, sometimes with a fever and intense stomach pain. It is easily spread from person to person; with an estimated 450,000 infections in the United States each year. Despite an abundance of cases in the United States, Shigellosis is a worldwide problem. There are around 188 million cases a year globally that result in about 1 million deaths per year.
The lack of knowledge of everyday citizens surrounding the Shigella Epidemic is ultimately due to one reason; Shigellosis is classified as an STI. This may seem contradictory, as Shigellosis is recognized more often in children. Larger outbreaks of Shigellosis have begun in daycare centers and schools, later spreading through households, and then entire communities.
The harsh reality is that the stigmatization of STIs has halted education of infections that aren't just spread through intercourse, including Shigellosis. People contract shigellosis by putting anything in their mouth that has touched infected feces, by eating or drinking food contaminated with the bacteria, or through contact with someone who has recently been affected by the infection. While outbreaks commonly occur through outbreaks that start in young children, the infection has also been spread through men who have sex with other men, classifying it as an STI.
As mentioned before, STI stands for Sexually Transmitted Infection. Due to this, the moment an STI is brought up, whether it be in a formal or informal setting, the stigma around sexually transmitted infections and diseases makes it difficult to provide education and spread awareness about the topic.
For years education around STIs has fought to move forward. From changing the title of these infections from Sexually Transmitted Diseases to Sexually Transmitted Infections in an attempt to reduce stigma around the issue, to Planned Parenthood and the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) publishing comprehensive articles, conducting research on STIs and providing sexual and reproductive healthcare. Despite this, education on STIs still falls short.
It's crucial we as a society recognize that sexually transmitted infection does not mean the infection is only spread through sex. It's possible to pass STIs to one another through casual contact such as sharing food or borrowing unclean clothes. Bloodborne infections like hepatitis B and HIV can be transmitted through nonsexual contact with infected bodily fluids.
With shigella being an often unheard of epidemic, causing a skyrocketing number of deaths per year, it's now or never when it comes to education surrounding STI´s. According to the National Library of Medicine, those who received sex education were more likely to have lower STI fatalism (51.0% vs. 42.4%). An improved system for STI education is mandatory if we want to save lives. Educating younger children in school is one way to work towards this.
When educating young children, it is not mandatory to speak on the details of STIs and what that entails. Instead, having a more comprehensive conversation about basic hygiene in preschools and elementary schools can create waves of children making sure they are sanitary and not participating in activities that could put them at risk for contracting infections, such as not washing their hands after using the bathroom and sharing food.
When children reach intermediate and middle school, the common age of schools having talks with their students about sex education, it's important we put more of an emphasis on what STIs truly are. It's important to highlight that STIs can be spread through unsafe sex, but also through unsafe hygiene habits. Reiterating to students the basic hygiene they learned when they are younger, and also emphasizing the possible fatality and spread of these diseases is important for everybody's safety moving forward.
By Anna Resanovich - Hello! My name is Anna, i’m 16, and I am a junior at an Ohio highschool. I’m a 2 year member of Model UN, a 2 year communication officer for student council, a 3 year speech/ debate member, and i played lacrosse for a year! I’ve been involved with my schools newstaff class/club for 3 years, and this year I am one of our design editors! I’ve had my work published in every physical newspaper we’ve produce since the beginning of my sophomore year, and have worked to make the designs in our issues more creative and unique! I’m also working on writing more political stories and writing about things I am passionate about in hopes to intern at a local newspaper! I’ve also attended national and statewide journalistic conferences :) I love to write and paint inside and outside of school, and love to learn and advocate about politics and how important it is for everyone to stay informed!
Comments