Private MD News

Wisconsin county teens face high STD rates

Category: Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Racine, Wis., teens face some of the highest rates for sexually transmitted diseases in the state. The news comes from the City of Racine Health Department and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and has prompted parents and youths in the city to take action.

Urgent need for action
A lack of knowledge about STDs among youths in the city has likely led to the rise in rates, according to a program coordinator for Personal Responsibility Education Program, a youth program run out of the city's YMCA. Many Racine youths may not be aware that using condoms can help prevent the spread of diseases like chlamydia, the most common in the city, according to STD tests from the health department.

Data show that about 2 out of every 100 youths aged 10 to 19 have an STD. In 2012, nearly 300 youths in Racine were reported to have an STD. Efforts to raise community awareness for teens and parents to communicate about STD testing and protection are being pushed by members of PREP, which received a grant of $470,000 grant from the Medical College of Wisconsin to educate youths about sexual health, dating violence and college preparedness, noted the Journal Times.

Racine County ranks third in Wisconsin for STD rates, according to TMJ4, the local NBC affiliate.

Getting tested
Since chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, the most common STDs in Racine County, can sometimes be asymptomatic, it is important to have proper testing. These STDs can often be passed from partner to partner without knowledge, and complications from these diseases can lead to serious issues later in life if left untreated. For those wishing for a discreet means of STD diagnosis, an anonymous STD test can be the answer. Broad panel tests are available for a wide variety of STDs and lab tests can reveal the STD status of anyone who may be vulnerable to infection.

Risk factors include having sex with multiple partners and a lack of awareness of a partner's sexual history. A lab test online can provide the answers to lead to potentially life-saving treatments for teens and adults alike.