Free STD Testing in Westminster, CO

This region is considered to be a great choice for raising a family with safe and friendly communities as well as its share of the less favorable areas. One concern that plagues the city is the number of STD cases which have been reported. Gonorrhea, HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Chlamydia and Syphilis numbers are rising. The local health department and the Center for Disease Control are aware of this situation and have been watching the statistics over the past decade.

STD testing in the area is not as high as it should be. Because of the rates, there should be more concern among the public. One of the reasons that there is not is simply because of a lack of awareness of the potential threat to sexual health. More people need to know how easy ordering the testing is and that it only takes a trip to a local lab for completion and to get results on their way. STD testing clinics are available and for those who cannot afford testing fees, there are free testing centers that provide services with zero or reduced costs.

While the rates for all types of Syphilis are fairly low, the figures for Chlamydia are more than twice as high as they are in comparable metro areas around the country. People who are being diagnosed with this STD the most often are women with double the rates than those of men, and those in the 20 to 24 and 15 to 19 year age groups. This is an alarming rate to say the least and it has caused enough concern to illicit a response to take action to increase education and prevention in the local communities.

There is always risk of becoming infected with an STD when you engage in unprotected sex. Other factors combine to increase risk. These include having more than one sexual partner, having sex with someone who has sex with others and engaging in these behaviors in an area that has high rates for certain STDs.

Many people are not being tested. This could be in part by a lack of knowledge about their risk, the signs of an STD or the resources that are available to them within their own communities. It is believed that if all persons at risk would get tested, the numbers would increase dramatically. There is a likelihood that the trends would remain the same for risk factors such as sex and age related factors.

Have you had sexual relations with a person without using protection? Does your partner have other partners? Do you have multiple partners? Have you noticed any unusual signs or symptoms that could relate to your sexual health? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you at least have some factors for risk for an STD.