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CDC tweets about the importance of STD testing

Category: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

STD testing  is widely considered to be a critical method of preventing the spread of infections. Public health officials are increasingly trying to find new ways to encourage individuals get themselves checked out.

For example, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently took to the social networking platform Twitter to start a dialogue with the public and explain the importance of testing, according to public radio station WABE of Atlanta.

"It’s interesting because you get to see what people are asking," CDC director Tom Friedman told the news source. "Many doctors, nurses and other health care professionals may not be comfortable talking to their patients about sexual activity and encouraging kids to delay onset of sex and to have safe sex if they are having sex and to get tested for STDs."

The agency has previously stated that STD testing can be an effective way to prevent the spread of infections from one individual to another. Spreading the word about the importance of screening may encourage more people to get tested.