IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 107 

Supporting the goals and ideals of ‘‘National STD Awareness Month’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 23, 2009 

Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MEEKS of New York, 

Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. BALDWIN, and Mrs. 

CHRISTENSEN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of ‘‘National STD Awareness 

Month’’. 

Whereas sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (also known 

as sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs) pose a significant burden in the United States both in economic and 

human terms; 

Whereas the United States has the highest rate of STIs in 

the industrialized world, with an estimated 19,000,000 

new cases occurring each year, and almost half of those 

infections occurring in young people between the ages of 

15 to 24; 

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC), STIs impose a tremendous economic 


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•HCON 107 IH 

burden on the United States, with direct medical costs as 

high as $15,900,000 per year; 

Whereas, in 2008, the CDC estimated that 1 in 4 young 

women between the ages of 14 and 19 in the United 

States, or 3,200,000 teenage girls, and nearly 1 in 2 African-American young women are infected with at least 

one of the most common sexually transmitted infections, 

which are human papillomavirus (HPV), chlamydia, herpes simplex virus, and trichomoniasis; 

Whereas poverty and lack of access to quality health care exacerbate the rate of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other STIs; 

Whereas racial disparities in rates of STIs are among the 

worst health disparities in the Nation for any health condition; 

Whereas most STIs have been associated with increased risk 

of HIV transmission and are likely contributing to the 

ongoing HIV epidemic in the United States; 

Whereas the CDC also reports that the two most common 

STIs among young women are HPV, with 18 percent infected, and chlamydia, with 4 percent infected; 

Whereas the long-term health effects of these STIs are especially severe for women and include infertility and cervical cancer; 

Whereas vaccination, screening, and early treatment can prevent some of the most devastating effects of STIs; 

Whereas high STI infection rates in the United States demonstrate the need for better ways to reach those most at 

risk of infection; 


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Whereas the CDC recommends annual chlamydia screenings 

for sexually active women 25 years of age and younger; 

Whereas the CDC also recommends HPV vaccination for 

girls and women between the ages of 11 and 26 who have 

not been vaccinated, or who have not completed the full 

series of shots; 

Whereas chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease 

chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and tubular pregnancies, 

which can affect a woman’s health and well-being 

throughout her lifetime; 

Whereas STIs can be transmitted from infected mothers to 

infants during childbirth and can cause severe health 

consequences in these infants; 

Whereas STIs often cause social stigma and may have a serious psychological impact among those who are infected; 

Whereas the Federal Government should help people protect 

themselves against STIs by supporting programs providing comprehensive and medically accurate health information and funding screening and treatment services, including through a variety of programs such as under title 

X of the Public Health Service Act and the CDC’s STD 

prevention program; 

Whereas STI screening, vaccination, and other prevention 

strategies for sexually active women should be among our 

highest public health priorities; and 

Whereas the CDC observes April as ‘‘National STD Awareness Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 


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1 (1) supports the goals and ideals of ‘‘National 

2 STD Awareness Month’’; 

3 (2) encourages the Federal Government, States, 

4 localities, and nonprofit organizations to observe the 

5 month with appropriate programs and activities, 

6 with the goal of increasing public knowledge of the 

7 risks of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and 

8 protecting people of all ages; 

9 (3) recognizes the human toll of STIs and the 

10 importance of making the prevention, diagnosis, and 

11 treatment of STIs an urgent public health priority; 

12 and 

13 (4) calls on all people in the United States to 

14 learn about STIs and the prevention approaches rec15 ommended for them and encourages all sexually ac16 tive individuals to get tested for STIs and to seek 

17 appropriate care if they are infected. 

Æ 


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