Jacques publishes study on STIs in Wisconsin Medical Journal

Laura Jacques, MD, associate professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, co-authored a new publication published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal. Co-authors include Kyla Quigley, PhD; Elise S. Cowley, MD, PhD; Kaitlyn Landry, BS; Jessica Dalby, MD; Ryan Westergaard, MD, PhD, MPH.

In “Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Infection Rates in Wisconsin, 2010-2022”, Jacques and co-authors aimed to analyze the incidence rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea, sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) that pose public health challenges due to their commonly asymptomatic presentation. The authors analyzed Wisconsin Electronic Disease Surveillance System data (2010-2022) to assess incidence rates of these infections by sex, age, and race, and found that: 

“Chlamydia and gonorrhea incidence rates have risen across most populations in Wisconsin but disproportionately affect Black individuals, with the largest racial disparities seen in the nation. While chlamydia rates remained stable among young females, they increased among males and older adults. Gonorrhea rates surged across nearly all groups. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to expand screening, address structural barriers to health care, and reduce disparities.”

Read the whole study here!

**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Melis Baskaya