For Immediate Release: September 22, 2025
Media Contacts: Efrat Dallal Stein- [email protected]
Cook County Department of Public Health Talks About Sexual Health
During Awareness Month
Events highlight the importance of testing, treatment and prevention during Sexual Health Awareness Month
BRIDGEVIEW, IL – September is Sexual Health Awareness Month, and Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) has several activities planned for the public, healthcare providers and partners to raise awareness about the importance of sexual health and well-being. Sexual health impacts everyone, and CCDPH hopes to reduce the shame and stigma people may feel around these topics.
Through virtual webinars, toolkits, in-person events and social media, CCDPH is sharing information about how to prevent and control the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), promote safer sex practices and healthy relationships.
“CDC estimates one in every five Americans have an STI,” said Dr. Kiran Joshi, Chief Operating Officer of Cook County Department of Public Health. “This month is an opportunity to think about steps we can all take to improve sexual health and well-being.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 20 million new STI cases occur every year in the U.S. The most recent data from 2023 shows rates of syphilis (including primary, secondary, and congenital) rose slightly in 2023 and remains at its highest level since the 1950s. Gonorrhea declined slightly, and chlamydia rates stabilized. In suburban Cook County the data mirrors national trends: congenital syphilis cases more than doubled from 2020 to 2021 and have stayed high since. Cook County data available here.
Most STIs have no symptoms. Anyone who is sexually active can get an STI through vaginal, anal, or oral sex, as well as skin-to-skin contact. Without testing and treatment, STIs can cause serious long-term problems, like infertility, pregnancy complications, chronic pain, certain cancers, and even life-threatening conditions.
Nationally, half of new STI cases have been in young people ages 15 to 24 years old. People of African American and Hispanic descent, and/or who identify as LGBTQ and were assigned male at birth, have also been disproportionately affected. These disparities reflect persistent health inequities, barriers to healthcare access, and the stigma that too often prevents people from seeking timely care.
“STIs are all too common, but the good news is they are preventable and treatable,” said Joshi. “We want people to feel comfortable and confident talking about and taking care of their sexual health.”
In observance of Sexual Health Awareness Month, CCDPH will be holding two webinars: One for healthcare providers, called, Guarding Patients’ Health: The Provider’s Role in STI Prevention, on Sept. 23, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ; and another for the public, called, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About STIs, But Were Afraid to Ask , on Sept. 30, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
CCDPH just launched a new sexual health toolkit for healthcare providers with guidance for treating, testing, preventing, and reporting STIs. The toolkit includes patient education materials in English and Spanish about Doxy PEP, which has been shown to dramatically reduce gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis rates in some populations with higher risk.
CCDPH Community Health Promoters will provide free condoms, health education materials and testing resources at community events (see calendar) throughout suburban Cook County.
- To register for the 9/23 healthcare provider webinar, visit http://bit.ly/47xyvr7 .
- To register for the 9/30 public webinar, visit http://bit.ly/41JGzBj.
- To find STI testing sites in Cook County, visit dontguessgetatest.com.
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Cook County Department of Public Health, an affiliate of Cook County Health, is a nationally accredited, state-certified local health department that enforces health regulations, monitors and responds to public health threats and promotes better health in suburban Cook County.