Discussing the importance of getting STD tested is not exactly office talk. But maybe it should be. That stigma and embarrassment helps contribute to statistics such as these:
- Individuals ages 15-24 account for half of all new STD infections.
- STD rates continue to climb. In 2019, 1.8 million cases of chlamydia were diagnosed, up 19% since 2015.
- There were also 626,392 gonorrhea cases diagnosed in 2019, up 56% since 2015.
- And the 129,815 syphilis cases diagnosed might not seem like a lot, but that figure was up an astonishing 74% since 2015. And sadly, the incidence of congenital syphilis — when a mother passes the infection on to her baby — was up 279% in 2019 from 2015.
What can happen if these STDs go untreated? They will keep spreading, of course.
And you may have heard Kanawha County has what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls “most concerning” HIV outbreak in the United States. Once again, 35 cases might not seem like a lot. But it used to be one or two cases a year. Now the figure mirrors that of New York City, which has a population of 8.4 million people, compared to 1.8 million in all of West Virginia.
April is STD Awareness Month and, coincidentally, Monongalia County Health Department’s Clinical Services has just expanded its hours for free STD testing and treatment.
Anyone — and we mean anyone — can make an appointment to get tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C by one of our friendly, non-judgmental nurses at MCHD Clinical Services.
Remember, prevention is the first goal. That includes using condoms and using them correctly.
Then, there is testing. The CDC’s recommendations for when and how often to test for STDs can be found at cdc.gov/std/prevention/screeningreccs.htm.
In general, sexually active people want to get tested at least once for STDs; but there are some individuals who should consider doing it more often. And everyone should do it between sexual relationships. “Like a reset, a sorbet between courses,” as our video host says.
Search “smoothies and STDs” on YouTube if you want to see the video. And call 304-598-5119 for a free testing appointment.
