Abstract
BackgroundThe growing shale gas (“fracking”) industry depends on a mobile workforce, whose influx could have social impacts on host communities. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can increase through sexual mixing patterns associated with labor migration. No prior studies have quantified the relationship between shale gas activity and rates of three reportable STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.MethodsWe conducted a longitudinal, ecologic study from 2000–2016 in Ohio, situated in a prolific shale gas region in the United States (US). Data on reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis by county and year were obtained from the Ohio Department of Health. All 88 counties were classified as none, low, and high shale gas activity in each year, using data from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Annual rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated from mixed-effects Poisson regression models evaluating the relationship between shale gas activity and reported annual STI rates while adjusting for secular trends and potential confounders obtained from the US Census.ResultsCompared to counties with no shale gas activity, counties with high activity had 21% (RR = 1.21; 95%CI = 1.08–1.36) increased rates of chlamydia and 19% (RR = 1.27; 95%CI 0.98–1.44) increased rates of gonorrhea, respectively. No association was observed for syphilis.ConclusionThis first report of a link between shale gas activity and increased rates of both chlamydia and gonorrhea may inform local policies and community health efforts.
Highlights
Rising global energy demands coupled with technical advancements in the oil and gas industry have led to the economic feasibility and rapid expansion of shale gas extraction
Annual rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated from mixed-effects Poisson regression models evaluating the relationship between shale gas activity and reported annual Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) rates while adjusting for secular trends and potential confounders obtained from the United States (US) Census
Compared to counties with no shale gas activity, counties with high activity had 21% (RR = 1.21; 95%CI = 1.08–1.36) increased rates of chlamydia and 19% (RR = 1.27; 95%CI 0.98– 1.44) increased rates of gonorrhea, respectively
Summary
Rising global energy demands coupled with technical advancements in the oil and gas industry have led to the economic feasibility and rapid expansion of shale gas extraction. Others have raised concerns about air pollutant emissions, water contamination, induced seismic activity, and adverse health outcomes, and quantitative research into these factors is growing [3, 4]. Some proponents of this technology contend that expansion of the shale gas industry in various geographic areas could lead to localized socioeconomic benefits, such as job creation (e.g., in food service and hospitality industries and truck driving) and increased revenue in the form of increased spending and mineral royalties [5, 6]. No prior studies have quantified the relationship between shale gas activity and rates of three reportable STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis
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