Private MD News

Rising STD rates hit Texas

Category: Chlamydia

STD testing has revealed an increase in gonorrhea and chlamydia cases in Texas' Lubbock county, according to a local news source. Local experts anticipate that these numbers will continue to rise through the year, reflecting the trends that have been seen in several states.

According to the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, the city of Lubbock ranks eighth in Texas for STD rates, and the county is 11th of 254 counties for STDs. One local healthcare expert noted that these numbers are comparable to what some states have for their overall statistics. However, the news source noted that while STD rates overall were on the rise, the number of newly diagnosed cases of AIDS and HIV dropped in 2013.

A Board of Health Review released in 2010 noted that cases of gonorrhea and chlamydia within Lubbock county were higher than the state average. The Lubbock Avalanche Journal noted that the county's health department has seen 21 cases of syphilis, 386 cases of gonorrhea and 907 cases of chlamydia from the beginning of 2013 through June. This is compared to the 14 cases of syphilis, 290 cases of gonorrhea and 850 cases of chlamydia that were reported from January to June of 2012

STD testing and prevention
"Prevention needs to be done so you don't end up getting something that can scar you for life," Naghma Farooqi, a gynecologist at Texas Tech Physicians, told the news source.

Farooqi went on to note that if someone is diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea, they should recommend that their sexual partner get tested, even if no symptoms are apparent. That way, he or she can get treated if need be. If both partners aren't medicated, it's likely that the patient who was may contract the infection again.

The Board of Health Review reported that just 56 percent of high school students surveyed in Texas said that they used condoms during their last intercourse. This makes Texas the fourth worst state for student condom use.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gonorrhea can cause permanent health problems in both genders when left untreated. Cases of gonorrhea that go undetected increases patients' risk of becoming infected with or transmitting HIV. Chlamydia that is not diagnosed and treated early can sometimes cause damage to women's reproductive organs.

Anonymous STD testing is available for anyone looking to discretely learn their sexual health status.