Yep, our mobile billboard will be out again, this weekend, at the University of Maryland campus. Just in time for Homecoming!
Have you seen it? Let me know! I don’t get to fly to Maryland and see it in person.
It’s all part of IDENTIGENE’s campaign to encourage students, parents, everyone, to Talk About STDs!
Talking about STD testing with your partner can help keep you BOTH safe. I know it can be an uncomfortable, or even embarrassing subject to bring up, so if you have an idea for a creative way to talk about STDs, film it! Send it to me, and you could win $5,000 for school.
The Chippewa Herald: Cases of Chlamydia on the increase
The Chippewa Herald reported today that cases of Chlamydia are on the rise in Chippewa County Wisconsin. At the end of July the county health department already had reports of 89 cases, compared to the total 112 cases reported for all of 2009. This is in comparison to the next most reported STD, gonorrhea, which had 5 reported cases in 2009.
The Center for Disease Control estimates an average of 2 million Chlamydia infections nationally each year.
Public Health Nurse Carol Meagher says “Many times it’s asymptomatic. If somebody does have it … they usually don’t have symptoms.”
Though the symptoms may be mild, the health risks are not. Untreated chlamydia can lead to infection of uterus or fallopian tubes, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women. PID can lead to chronic pelvic pain, infertility and ectopic pregnancy. For both genders a chlamydia infection can leave them more likely to be infected with an other STD.
Because not everyone is tested, the number of reported chlamydia cases are not all the cases that exist in Chippewa County. Also, because many don’t know they have the infection, it does spread.
To prevent Chlamydia infection, the Chippewa County health department recommends abstinence first, followed by monogamy, and condom use.
Chippewa County Public Health Nurse Carol Lendle says, “If a couple does choose to have sex, both partners should get tested for Chlamydia, and other STDs. Go together, get tested and make sure you’re both free of STDs.”
Talking about STDs is one of the few ways to help stop the spread of disease.
Talking about STD’s, getting tested, asking your partner to get tested, and dispelling the myths surrounding STDs are important steps in stopping the spread of disease.
MTV has their GYT (Get Yourself Tested) campaign and recently sponsored a Foursquare badge, encouraging people to not only get tested themselves, but to talk about STD testing with their social network.
Identigene agrees that talking about STDs is important, and is launching their own initiative, “Talk About STDs” with a $5,000 video contest. I’m so excited about this contest, and I can’t wait to see what creative ways people have for bringing up this potentially embarrassing, but very important subject, with the people closest to them.
If you want to know more, head over to TalkAboutSTDS.com for contest rules.
Check out our new YouTube Channel! This is my first try at making a video, I’d love to know what you think.
In it I answer the question “Do you need to see a doctor to get an STD test?”. If you have an STD testing question of your own, leave your question in the comments and I’ll answer it on my next video.
