In the city where Coca Cola is king and the local music and arts scene is as sweet as a Georgia peach, Atlanta brings together the cosmopolitan flair of an urban center and the genteel ease of sleepy Southern town. With great growth has come some difficulty in rising STD rates, including HIV, notably in the young, black, gay male community.1 Starting treatment and starts with getting tested. An STD test can feel stressful, but there are ways so make the process smoother. Schedule the test on your own time, with a payment option that works for you, at a local clinic that is discreet and delivers results quickly and accurately. STDtest.com is where to get started.
CDC research points to a high amount of new HIV cases in Atlanta and all across Georgia. According to the latest CDC HIV surveillance report released this spring, metro Atlanta has the fifth-highest rate of new HIV diagnoses. Other common STDs like chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are getting diagnosed more frequently. The 2014 CDC STD Surveillance Report also reports that Georgia is the 3rd state in the Union for total number of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis infections.2 In a big city like Atlanta, it’s important to stay on top of sexual health. If you’re wondering whether or not your should take an STD test, odds are it’s time. STDTest.com offers a solution very nearly guaranteed to work with your time frame and the location that’s best for you. It’s a discreet, cost-effective and effective method of STD testing that can be scheduled and taken the same day.
It’s clear to see a burgeoning trend of STD diagnoses on the rise in Atlanta and Georgia state-wide. Fulton County, of which Atlanta is a part, ranks 1st in the state for cases of gonorrhea and primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis and 2nd for cases of chlamydia, following DeKalb county.3 The alarmingly high rate of STDs is nationally recognized. Not only does the metro claim the highest number of P&S syphilis cases nationwide, the Atlanta area reports the 6th highest congenital syphilis and the 8th highest gonorrhea case rates across the country, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.4
The HIV rates in Atlanta are similarly high. Recent data shows once again that Fulton and DeKalb lead the state in the highest numbers of diagnosed cases of HIV, making a major impact on the women and young African-American men in the area.5 As the metro area ranks nationally for highest number of STD infections, several counties in Georgia, including Fulton and the greater Atlanta area, rank nationally in the number of HIV cases diagnosed each year. Nearly 51% of those infected are young African American men.5 According to Emily Brown of the LGBT advocacy group Georgia Equality, “[The community thinks] that HIV is no longer a death sentence, and in the era of antiretroviral drugs, we think that no one is dying, but the reality is that in the black community, HIV is advancing to AIDS for many, and people are dying. No one is talking about it.”Getting tested, getting treated and practicing safe sexual health are key to getting this crisis under control.
Georgia law requires schools to cover sexual health topics and HIV/AIDS in their curriculum, according to the Georgia Department of Education Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Program Plan.6 This emphasis on keeping students informed about their health and what choices to consider when faced with tough decisions could be changing. A majority of Atlanta-area schools are adopting “Teaching the Best” curriculum. In 2015, school area officials proposed an update to the lessons calling for an update of images, statistics, videos and more that point a larger of emphasis of avoiding sex until marriage.
Half of Georgia schools already teach “Choosing the Best”, and for a metro area where 50% of new HIV infections come from the 15-24 age group, more education would seem a clearer option than less information about how to protect themselves and others from sexually transmitted diseases. Getting informed and getting tested are simple ways that make a huge impact on the overall sexual health of teenagers and young adults. For anyone over 18, STDTest.com has local, private and efficient testing options that make staying safe simple.
Atlanta, including Fulton and DeKalb counties, account for nearly 66% of all HIV/AIDs cases in Georgia. In line with national trends, the percentage of young African-American men infected is greatly disproportionate to the rest of the population. African Americans comprise 29% of Georgia’s total population, yet this demographic accounts for 63% of AIDS cases in Atlanta.6
Another trend that is cause for concern is the high number of young women infected with chlamydia. 15-24 year old women make up 51% of cases of the STD state-wide. In addition to the high chlamydia rates, the most common age to contract cases of P&S syphilis is 20-29 for both men and women.5 With STD rates representing some of the most highly infected communities in the country, what can be done to help curb the progress of disease? Prevention and testing are invaluable resources to help curb the spread of disease. There are plenty of reasons why anyone would want to avoid an STD test. Maybe it’s too invasive for some, there could be a lack of time; many people don’t want to reveal their most personal information to their primary care physician. STDTest.com is an affordable STD testing solution that is private, secure and convenient.
Why not spend your precious free time catching a game at The Ted instead of waiting in a long line at the free clinic to get tested? Skip the hassles and set up an STD screening at STDTest.com. You can make an appointment for the same day and your results will be delivered quickly and discreetly. Invest in your health and spare the judgment. It’s more than worth it.