The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports there are
about 20 million new sexually transmitted disease (STD) infections
each year in the U.S. with almost half of them among young people 15
to 24 years of age. STDs include chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis,
herpes, genital warts, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Most
infections have no symptoms and often go undiagnosed and untreated
leading to severe health consequences and infertility, especially for
women.
Chlamydia
is the most frequently reported communicable disease in McHenry
County, with 590 cases in 2013 and 484 cases in 2012. Thirty-two (32)
cases of gonorrhea and five (5) cases of syphilis were also reported
in 2013. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the
County had 131 people living with HIV as of December, 2014, with 73
who have advanced to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Despite
this news, there are effective ways to diagnose and treat STD
infections. McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) offers
affordable comprehensive STD testing by appointment (815-334-4500).
The test consists of a urine sample and a blood draw. Clients also
receive free confidential or anonymous rapid HIV testing for those at
high risk for infection. Consulting and education are included with
all HIV and STD testing.
The CDC
recommends annual testing for:
- sexually active women under 25 years of age for chlamydia and gonorrhea;
- older women who have a new or multiple sex partners or a partner infected with an STD infection;
- gay and bisexual men or other men who have sex with men for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV and syphilis;
- anyone who has unsafe sex or shares needles to inject drugs for HIV.
Call
MCDH at 815-334-4500 for more information or to schedule an
appointment. To learn more about STDs, visit CDC
www.cdc.gov/std.
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