STD Testing Blog

Archive for the ‘STD Statistics’ Category

Hook ups…do they happen as often as you think?

Monday, October 17th, 2011

by Stephanie Brooks, Health Writer

College students talk a big game ⎼ but do they actually have as many hook-ups as they say? A new study in the August 2011 edition of Health Communication says no, they don’t.

In the study, researchers looked at the way college students talk about sex ⎼ especially casual sex or hooking up ⎼ and what that means for the way their classmates think about sex.

So, what did the researchers find?

While college students talk the talk, it seems that they don’t walk the walk…at least as much as they say. According to the study, students tended to have fewer casual sex encounters than their discussions indicated.

But there’s an extra note of caution here, too. The types of sex college students were most likely to talk about were high-risk situations, like having unplanned and drunken sex with someone they didn’t know. And talking about that kind of sex made their friends more likely to perceive high-risk sex as normal.

That’s a problem.

When people think high-risk sex is normal, they’re more likely to go for it. And, unfortunately, people who have drunken sex with strangers are more likely to catch an STD or have an unintended pregnancy.

To prevent STDs and unintended pregnancy, it’s important to use condoms. And it also helps to know the STD status of your sexual partner. Better yet, couples can get tested for STDs together before they have sex (including oral and anal sex, too). Remember, STDs don’t always caused obvious symptoms…testing is the only way to know if you or a potential sex partner has an STD.

So the next time you hear about a hook-up…take it with a grain of salt. And if you’re sexually active, take control of your sexual health by using protection and getting tested for STDs.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Risk, STD Statistics, STD Testing, STD awareness, safe sex | Add Your Comment »

STD Awareness Month: get tested, get talking

Monday, April 4th, 2011

by Del Wright, Care Advisor

April.

It’s the month that ushers in Spring…and Spring flings. It signals new beginnings in nature and, oftentimes, in our love lives too. But before you embark on a new romance, be sure to know the facts about STDs and how to take care of your sexual health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate as many as 19 million new cases of STDs in the United States each year. So, to help focus public attention on STDs and sexual health, April has been declared STD Awareness Month.

While STDs cross racial and ethnic lines, African-Americans – especially women – are also disproportionately at risk for such common STDs as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. New data from the CDC also show that women in general are more likely to get herpes (HSV-2) than men.

But statistics aside, untreated STDs can eventually result in serious health problems…no matter who you are. So there’s no better time than now to get educated about STDs, get tested, and talk with your partner about STDs and what it means to have safer sex. And if you test positive for an STD, it’s vital to let your partner(s) know, so they can get tested, too.

Speaking of testing and talking – both are smart steps to take before you have a fling or start a new relationship. It takes just one sexual experience to get an STD, so it makes good sense to play it safe and give yourself peace of mind.

Put aside any embarrassment and insecurities you may be feeling, and make April the month for STD testing, talking and treatment (if necessary). If you don’t know you’re infected, you can’t get treated…and, as the CDC points out, all STDs are treatable and many are curable.

Related:
There are lots of STD awareness resources available for anyone wanting to get tested, or educate others about the importance of testing, STD prevention and safer sex practices.

Posted in STD Statistics, STD Testing, STD awareness | 8 Comments »

Safe Sex in the City

Monday, October 25th, 2010

by Jake Giles

Although New York City never sleeps, it’s not the city that doesn’t sleep around. In data collected by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in 2008, NYC ranked 10th among all 50 states for chlamydia infections, and 23rd for gonorrhea infections. Further, 192,753 AIDS cases were reported that year, making New York one of the highest ranked states in cumulative reported AIDS cases.

Along with these disturbing figures, here are some more surprising facts about STDs and New York:

  • More than one-fourth of New Yorkers are infected with the virus that causes genital herpes
  • One in four college students has an STD
  • Only 60% of women know how to use a condom correctly

New Yorkers: we know you think bed bugs are the new STDs, but think again.  Bed bugs may ruin your mattress but an undetected STD can ruin your health.

I can help.  My name is Jake and I’m a patient care specialist…I’m here to listen to your craziest story and reassure you that it’s not so crazy. Maybe you’re worried about a lapse in judgment or maybe you have a question about your sexual health. If you think you may have been exposed to an infection or just want to get a baseline test as a sexual health checkup, I’m here to help make testing as easy as it can possibly be. Call us at 888.215.9543 to learn more.

Being tested for an STD doesn’t have to be stressful. Many of our customers are repeat testers who want to test for cure or simply get tested regularly for peace of mind. We’re excited to deliver convenient, private and accurate STD testing in New York. So take those vagabond shoes that are longing to stray, and get tested today!

Posted in STD Statistics, STD awareness | 3 Comments »

STD Awareness Month and Our Youth Obsession

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

April showers bring May flowers…and National STD Awareness month.  You’re ahead of the pack because you’re aware of STDs and HIV.  You’re aware of the risks and aware that there are very easy ways to get tested privately and conveniently. But, if you look at the efforts to raise our country’s STD awareness, you’d think that only young people are vulnerable to STDs and HIV.  This year, the CDC, Planned Parenthood, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and others are sponsoring a great awareness campaign by MTV to encourage young people to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.  It’s called Get Yourself Tested or GYT and it’s a terrific campaign.

But what about the rest of us in our 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond?  While it’s critical to teach young people how to protect themselves, why is this important public health awareness effort so focused on teenagers?  FACT: The highest number of newly acquired cases of HIV/AIDS have been found in middle aged adults, ages 35 to 44.  Next highest age group?  Ages 45 to 54.  The least affected group is the youngest group between the age of 25 to 34.  This is CDC published data.

The new faces of HIV/AIDs are not gay men or the sexually promiscuous or IV drug users.  It’s the woman over 50 who doesn’t use condoms because she’s not worried about getting pregnant.  Or the divorced 42 year dad who’s dating again after many years and doesn’t know how to bring up the subject about using condoms or STD testing.  Viagra, Facebook, online dating, midlife divorce, and lack of awareness may be contributing forces but STDs are no longer an affliction of the young.

And maybe… it’s just that grownups are not so good at using condoms.  In a University of Chicago survey of single women ages 58 to 93, nearly 60% said they didn’t use a condom the last time they had sex. A May 2008 study conducted by the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene showed that among single people with at least two sexual partners, 56% of people over age 45 reported using condoms the last time they had sex, compared with 61% of 25-to-44-year-olds and 80% of 18-to-24-year-olds.

Grownups — here’s our message.  Please hear it.  STDs and HIV are preventable.  Please use condoms every time you have sexual contact.  And please get tested today.  Ask your partner, too.  It’s easy. Call us at 888-215-9543 if you have questions. We’re here to help.

Posted in HIV, STD Statistics, STD Testing, safe sex | 1 Comment »

CDC: Herpes rises to 16% of U.S. Adults

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

How many people between the ages of 14 and 49 have genital herpes in the U.S.?  Take a guess.  1%?  5%?  The CDC released data today that as much as 16 percent of the U.S. population between the ages of 14 and 49 has genital herpes.  And that’s just the reported cases.  The CDC estimates that more than 80 percent of the people who have the herpes simplex 2 virus have no idea they are infected.  Many people never have symptoms or outbreaks, or those symptoms are mild and mistaken for something else. Worse, genital herpes can be transmitted during skin to skin contact even when the infected person is not having any symptoms or showing visible sores.

Are you concerned that you may have been exposed to genital herpes? Getting a type-specific herpes test for HSV-1 and HSV-2 is the only way to learn if you have the infection or if you do not.  We’re here to help people get tested for herpes, HIV and other common STDs.  Doctors are available 7 days a week to discuss the results and followup with treatment, if necessary.

“This study serves as a stark reminder that herpes remains a common and serious health threat in the United States. Everyone should be aware of the symptoms, risk factors and steps that can be taken to prevent the spread of this lifelong and incurable infection,” said Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention.

Of the people who have genital herpes infections, women and African-Americans top the list for the highest rates. According to the CDC data, 1 in 5 women is infected with genital herpes or HSV-2.  The infection rate was almost twice as high among women — nearly 21 percent — than among men, at 11.5 percent.

For African-Americans, the prevalence of infection was 39.2 percent — more than three times that of whites, at 12.3 percent. Black women are most affected by the disease, with an infection rate of 48 percent.

Fenton said the high rates of herpes among African-Americans is most likely contributing to the high rate of HIV in that community. In fact, statistics show that people with herpes are two to three times more likely to get HIV if exposed.

CDC experts say there are a number of barriers to treatment, including poverty and lack of access to care. They say young women often don’t get tested for STDs because of misinformation and stigma.

And, according to CDC experts, while African-American women and men are often unwilling to get tested, doctors are often reluctant to discuss sexual health with their patients — particularly with black male patients.

Posted in Risk, STD Statistics, STD Testing, herpes | Add Your Comment »