Lubbock health department plans to launch sexual health Facebook page

In an effort to educate teens and college students residing in Texas about their sexual health, Lubbock residents are working towards launching a Facebook page for the city's health department, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

Due to a growing rate chlamydia and gonorrhea cases in the county, the health board hopes the social networking website will be an efficient way to slow the spread of these sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among younger age groups. Furthermore, encouraging the practice of safe sex will help reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies in the area.

Due to its association with the city and its health department, the online page will need to be approved by the city council prior to being launched, the news source reports.

The council would have to "see exactly what it is and what you want to put on it before it could be considered," stated Brian Carr, a member of the health board. He added that "STDs and safe sex are political issues as well as public health matters."

Teenagers and young adults who have unprotected sex could be putting themselves and their partners at a higher risk of contracting an STD. For instance, in 2006, approximately 14 percent of all Americans aged 13 to 24 tested positive for HIV, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.