Private MD News

Lubbock, Texas, reports higher STD rates

Category: HIV

Rates of reported sexually transmitted diseases in Lubbock, Texas, are currently higher than last year's, according to numbers from the city's heath department. So far in 2013, the rates of reported STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea have risen.

STDs
Chlamydia is the most reported STD in Lubbock as well as nationwide. In 2012, 1,723 people in Lubbock County were affected by the disease. If the number of reported new infections continues to rise, the rates of chlamydia in 2013 will surpass those from last year, according to The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

Lubbock has had problems with high STD rates in the past, and the root cause may be poor sexual education. Many residents of the city may not be aware of the symptoms of some STDs or about the practices of safe sex, potentially leading to increased numbers of infections. Some STDs can show no symptoms at all, making it very important for sexually active residents of Lubbock and across the country to receive STD testing.

"I think it's partly somehow falling short of teaching new adults and new sexually active populations how to protect themselves. Education is very powerful," said Naghma Farooqi, M.D., a gynecologist at Texas Tech Physicians, told the news source.

Blame also fell on the fact that many people were not familiar with their sexual partners or their sex histories. It is very important to use condoms when engaging in sexual activities with an unfamiliar partner, but a lack of sexual education and lab tests for disease made several STDs hard to track.

Another issue is that many people believe that STDs can only be passed through penetrative sex. However, many STDs, including HIV, can be passed through other types of sex as well, according to The Daily Toreador.

Testing
For those who want a discreet lab test online without a visit to a doctor or clinic, there are options available. Anonymous STD testing for many of the most commonly found diseases can be done. Since many diseases often do not have obvious symptoms, it is very important for those who are sexually active to be tested regularly. The treatment for many STDs is a simple round of antibiotics, yet the side effects from these illnesses can be very serious, potentially leading to infertility or even death if left untreated.