Free STD Testing in Santee, CA

Recent statistics show an increase in STDs in San Diego. The local increase is greater than the national increase.

Gonorrhea cases increased 4.1 percent in the U.S. for men and women. The national rate for men was 8.3 percent.

In San Diego, incidences of gonorrhea increased 19 percent to nearly 83 cases per every 100,000 people. About 30 percent of the cases were in men ages 20-29.

Syphilis went up 11 percent nationally. About three-quarters of the cases involving men who had sex with other men.

The San Diego rate jumped 12 percent in 2012 to 10.4 cases per every 100,000 people. Here 85 percent involved sex between men.

Nationally, chlamydia cases rose 0.7 percent. This is compared to 6 percent in San Diego County.

Chlamydia rates in San Diego increased from 496 cases per 100,000 residents to 526 cases. Forty-five percent of the local chlamydia cases were reported in women 24 years of age and under. Rates in men increased 9 percent.

“Sexually transmitted diseases are a silent, national epidemic,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county public health officer. “Doctors need to talk to their patients, and patients need to be open with their medical providers and disclose their sexual history.”

Dr. M. Winston Tilghman is the senior physician and STD controller for the county Health and Human Services Agency. He said people can decrease their risk of infection with condom use, monogamy, and openly discussing STDs.

The county started a free home testing program for gonorrhea and chlamydia available to women 25 and younger that can be accessed at DontThinkKnow.org. The county also operates STD clinics that offer testing and treatment for most STDs on a walk-in basis.

The service is part of the county’s Live Well San Diego initiative. The aim of the service is to improve the health and well-being of all San Diegans.

Comprehensive sex education is the law in California. This means that all public schools in California are required by law to teach comprehensive sex education and HIV prevention education at least once in middle school and once in high school.

Comprehensive sex education includes learning about anatomy and birth control. It also means students are taught about healthy relationships, decision-making, and more.

This sex education should give students information to make healthy decisions about relationships and sexual and reproductive health. The sex education curriculum in school should include information about:

• Sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sex trafficking
• Health relationships
• Adolescent relationship abuse, intimate partner violence and sexual coercion
• Sexual orientation and sexuality
• Gender identity, gender roles, and gender stereotypes
• Consent, communication, and healthy decision-making
• HIV prevention and other STD prevention including testing and treatment
• Pregnancy prevention, parenting, adoption, and abortion

It is the right of a student to get this information in schools. A group called Teen Source asks students if they are actually getting comprehensive sex education at school.

Teen Source provides students with a questionnaire online to fill out to say if they have not received sex education covering all of the above. Teen Source also gives students a chance to explain if they have received information that is not accurate.

Legislation passed in California, AB 329, requires sexual health and HIV prevention education in public schools. This has helped Planned Parenthood reach more youth, but there still are young adults in their 20s who lack information.

A lot of people in college have limited info because they had limited or no sex education. It’s still a big issue in families where people don’t talk about it or it’s considered taboo.

Planned Parenthood offers education services to anybody in the community. This can be a family, small group, or class.

A look at demographics can help our understanding of STI rates in your city and region. The demographic that is most likely to be infected and least likely to get tested is people 25 and younger.  Some experts blame the rates of STDs in this demographic in part on the use of new hook up apps that lead to casual sex among people 25 and younger.

Concerning the jump in the state for STDs, officials are not sure of all the reasons. People are not using condoms regularly so this could lead to the higher STD rates.

People are going without testing and treatment and unknowingly spreading STDs. This is another possible reason for the higher rates.

We also see reports that STD prevention systems have been weakened because local and state clinics have reduced capacity or closed in the last few years. This also contributes to higher STI rates.

HIV diagnoses were 85 percent for men having sex with men in 2013. Gay men saw the highest rates for STDs.  Twice as many women suffer from chlamydia compared to men.

Men suffer in higher numbers than women from other STDs including syphilis and HIV. STD rates also are generally higher in areas with a high poverty rate.

Racial disparities persist. We have seen annual rates for gonorrhea of 351.1 per 100,000 with this being 6.2 times the non-Hispanic white rate of 57 per 100,000.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is addressing these disparities in STDs. They have identified census tracts with high numbers of gonorrhea and racial disparities and puts an intervention focus in these area.

There are several options for you to get STI testing. For example, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest is a facility that can help you. Services include:

Chlamydia Test

Conventional HIV Blood Test

Gonorrhea Test

Hepatitis B Test

Hepatitis C Test

Herpes Test

Rapid HIV Blood Test

Concerning this Planned Parenthood location, know that if you are uninsured, you may qualify for a state-funded program or a lower fee scale. Bring a photo ID with you.

Know also that fees for services are based on your household incomes. You will not be turned away because of your inability to pay.

This health center supports and welcomes clients regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or biological sex, including but not limited to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex clients. All services are provided in a respectful and professional manner.

Planned Parenthood launched an app in California to encourage people to get STD testing. Through the app men and women can order chlamydia and gonorrhea tests.

If you are embarrassed to be seen at Planned Parenthood you could consider the hospital or urgent care option. No one will know why you are there. Yet another option is a private service such as PlushCare.

You order your STD tests. Then you visit a local lab. Then you get results via email in three business days or less. When you order you choose the tests you want to order.

You can also use the STD Check private service. This service is advertised as being 100 percent confidential. All tests are FDA approved. Same day testing is also available. Five-minute testing is an option with results in one to two days.

STD Check does not accept insurance. This way your testing results are not reported to your insurance company. This service provides a free phone consultation with a doctor for every test where you have a positive result.

Neighborhood Healthcare El Cajon is another facility that can help. It is open to the general public and includes these offerings:

Conventional HIV Blood Testing

Rapid HIV Oral Testing

Chlamydia Testing

Syphilis Testing

Gonorrhea Testing

HPV Vaccine

Whether you go to an urgent care center, hospital, clinic, Planned Parenthood, a counsellor or nurse at an area high school, or an online service, you can find in your area information about STDs, testing, and treatment. While STD rates are high in your area, help is available in the way of testing and treatment that is confidential, discreet, compassionate, and effective.

Consider how the staff at these facilities is trained to help someone like you, especially with the staff at Planned Parenthood or any other facility. Staff will be reminding you to check your health, improve it, and keep yourself healthy by always using a condom.

You can get information about STDs, testing, and treatment from a counsellor or nurse at an area school or hospital such as Scripps Clinic Santee. You could go to a nurse or counsellor for such information as well. This could include schools such as Santana High School and West Hills High Schools. Here are links to resources mentioned.