Missouri State University promotes STD urine tests

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department will now offer urine tests to screen patients for chlamydia and gonorrhea, two of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among young adults. In order to spread the news about this new opportunity, the student-run radio station at Missouri State University recently featured a story about the local department.

The free services are available to those who have no symptoms of the infections, but are concerned about their sexual health, according to KMSU.com. By undergoing this method of screening for STDs, patients will receive a less invasive procedure, which is equally effective as other tests.

By promoting the opportunity on the radio, the students can help educate their fellow classmates about the importance of their sexual health and about avoiding risky decisions.

Kendra Williams, administrator of community health and epidemiology at the health department, stated that "the ultimate goal is serving the public more efficiently, as well as to identify those individuals who maybe a-symptomatic."

While new tests can help detect STDs faster and more accurately, both chlamydia and gonorrhea are still a rising concern in the U.S. In 2008, more than 1.2 million people had been infected with chlamydia, while each year, an estimated 700,000 individuals contract gonorrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.