Rates of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, have been increasing in Alaska and around the country over the last 5 years. This is particularly true of syphilis, which often has no symptoms but can lead to significant health problems without treatment. It can also have serious effects when passed from a pregnant mother to an unborn child. On this Line One, host Dr. Justin Clark and his guests discuss the extent of Alaska’s syphilis outbreak, and how to detect, prevent, and treat it and other STIs.
HOST: Dr. Justin Clark
GUESTS:
- Dr. Liz Ohlsen – Staff physician and acting program manager for HIV and STD program, Alaska Department of Health Epidemiology Section
- James Hoagland – Director of client relations and Southeast programs, Alaska 4A’s
RESOURCES:
- Alaska Department of Health HIV/STD program
- CDC fact sheet on syphilis
- CDC fact sheet on PrEP, the medication that prevents HIV
- Alaska Four A’s – Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association
GET TESTED:
- Public health centers offering low cost or free STI testing in Alaska
- Anchorage-specific testing
- Order free, accurate, and confidential tests at IWantTheKit.org
- ANTHC STI testing and other STI resources at IKnowMine.org
LIVEÂ BROADCAST:Â Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, at 10 a.m. AKDT
REPEAT BROADCAST:Â Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m. AKDT
LINE ONE’S FAVORITE HEALTH AND SCIENCE LINKS:
- Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic offer extensive health information libraries
- MedlinePlus has a guide to finding reliable health information on the internet
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI)
- Carl Sagan’s Baloney Detection Kit and common logical fallacies
SUBSCRIBE:
Get updates on Line One: Your Health Connection and other Alaska Public Media podcasts here.
