EVERETT, Wash. — In Snohomish County, the closure of a clinic that treated sexually transmitted infections (STI) has had a lasting impact, according to county Health Director Dennis Worsham.
"When we closed the clinic back in 2009 it left a huge gap around low barrier services,” Worsham said.
On Friday, healthcare workers gathered in Everett for an announcement about the clinic.
"I was on the board of health as a county council member when it was decided to do away with direct services and it never felt right to me. I didn't like the idea,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers.
What followed was nothing short of alarming, according to the county's health officer.
"The case rate for gonorrhea more than quadrupled. So, four times the rate it was back in 2009,” said Dr. James Lewis.
Nationally, numbers have been going up as well. According to the CDC, from 2017 to 2021, overall reported STIs increased 7%, with Syphilis cases reaching the highest levels in 70 years.
In Snohomish County, there were multiple cases of congenital syphilis.
"Congenital syphilis is when a pregnant person passes the syphilis on to the fetus during pregnancy," said Dr. Lewis, who added that it can cause devastating illness or even death.
"Last year there were 40 new cases of HIV in Snohomish County,” Dr. Lewis said.
What was happening locally caught the attention of state lawmakers who offered Snohomish County nearly $1 million for a new STI clinic in Everett.
"Trying to really create an environment where people can come, be authentic, get this compassionate, nonjudgmental services and to be able to do interruption immediately is going to, I think, play a different role in really bringing those numbers down,” said Worsham. "Because we want it to be low barrier we are not going to charge for services."
He said it's a moment 14 years in the making - being able to finally bring back services that he says will make a difference.
According to the Snohomish County Health Department, the clinic, located at 3020 Rucker Avenue in Everett, adds services that include:
- Testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, as well as both rapid testing and blood draws for HIV.
- Treatment options available for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis for individuals and their partners.
The county will open the clinic for two years as part of a pilot project. Worsham said he hopes to be able to expand services in the future.