Conservative Lawmakers Tackle Utah's STD Crisis

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) It's an awkward thing to admit, but Utah's conservative lawmakers are now accepting that sexually-transmitted diseases are a big problem in the state. Cases of chlamydia and gonnorhea are up 400-percent in some Utah communities. One lawmaker during a committee meeting today called the problem a crisis.

In response, legislators are considering investing 350-thousand dollars in a statewide STD prevention campaign. However, they insist the campaign must be more than colored brochures and billboards. State Department of Health Director Doctor David Sundwall agrees the campaign must be innovative to counter media messages that promote "early and cavalier" sexual behavior.

Utah receives about 400-thousand dollars each year from the Centers for Disease Control for STD efforts, but health officials say most of the money goes into testing and treatment, rather than awareness. No state funds are currently spent on STDs, according to health department officials.

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