Cleveland, Ohio boasts treasures like the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame and the West Side Market, inviting the enjoyment of this metropolis on Lake Erie by locals and tourists alike. Cleveland and the Cuyahoga County count over 2.6 million residents as their own,1 in addition to a rising rate of sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia and primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis in the area.2-4
Most Clevelanders would rather spend their free time with family and friends at a Browns game than worrying about their STD status, it’s true. But with a population at risk, getting tested and treated if necessary is integral to the public health of thriving communities like Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Scheduling an appointment with your primary care physician could mean waiting for weeks, and it can feel crowded in free clinic waiting rooms. STDtest.com offers a fast, confidential and affordable solution that provides an identical level of professional care combined with the convenience of healthcare available on your schedule.
With the number of chlamydia infections increasing by 12% from 2014 to 2015 in Cuyahoga County, this is cause for concern in the greater Cleveland area.2-3 One of the most reliably effective ways to lower the rate of sexually transmitted disease in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and beyond is to get tested. The process can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be.
STDtest.com is here to offer a service that guides you every step of the way. With convenient testing options, results delivered usually in three business days or less and a commitment to exemplary customer service, this option can make a decision as difficult as getting tested for STDs a great deal simpler. Once you’re aware of your status, you’ll feel more free to enjoy Cleveland to the fullest, including a great day spent with family and friends at the Cleveland Botanical Garden or splashing around on the Cuyahoga River.
Of the nine most populous metropolitan areas across the state of Ohio (Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lima, Toledo and Youngstown), Cleveland ranks 4th for rates of chlamydia infection, 3rd for both the rates of gonorrhea and primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis. For the numbers of infections compared to other metropolitan areas, Cleveland ranks 3rd across the board for total number of chlamydia, gonorrhea and P&S syphilis cases, directly behind Columbus and Cincinnati. Regarding the number of HIV/AIDs cases reported by Cleveland and the greater Cuyahoga County, 3,319 were living with the disease in 2013, compared to 17,807 total cases reported in the state of Ohio.
In addition to ranking relatively high among other cities in the state, Cleveland also reports increases of both chlamydia and primary and secondary syphilis. In 2015, 9,091 new infections were reported across Cuyahoga County, compared to 8,980 the previous year. In the instance of primary and secondary syphilis, 72 cases were reported in 2014 compared to 29 in 2013, a 60% increase. Conversely, new reported cases of gonorrhea and HIV in the county are on the decline. The total number of new gonorrhea infections in 2015 totaled 3,031 in comparison to 2014’s 3,180, and HIV reports from the Ohio Department of Health revealed 210 new cases in 2014 in contrast to 228 in 2013.5&6,8
Getting tested for sexual transmitted diseases is a simple way to lower trends on the rise and to perpetuate rates already on the decline. STDtest.com offers a four-step process that fits within your busy schedule.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District benefits from a grant from the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health, which bolsters the quality of its sexual education. The grant guidelines call for “exemplary”, comprehensive sexual education, emphasizing HIV/AIDS and STD education, prevention, and a collaboration with community partners to provide young adults with the resources necessary to create a healthy educational environment for students, teachers and staff. Another caveat of the CDC funding includes the collection of Youth Behavior Risk Survey data at all schools in the area. This information is then used to evaluate and address gaps in the curriculum and services provided by the school district and community partners.9
In addition, Ohio state law mandates comprehensive sexual education statewide. Current addenda to the Ohio public school sexual education curriculum includes lessons on sexual assault, birth control and other forms of contraception, according to state legislature. In Cleveland and across Ohio, teens are one of the most highly affected risk groups for sexually transmitted disease, accounting for 59.2% of all gonorrhea cases reported in the state in 2015. Providing students and young adults with information to determine the risks of STDs and when to get tested only works to improve the rate of testing, paving the way to improving the rate of treatment.10-11
Men and women in Cleveland and across Ohio are impacted differently when it comes to demographic distribution of STDs. Most often this distinction depends on the infection in question. Looking at HIV/AIDS data released in a report from the City of Cleveland reveals that of all HIV/AIDS cases in the metropolitan area, 75% were reported in men compared to 25% reported in women. Across the state of Ohio, 72.1% of chlamydia infections were reported in women, compared to 51.1% of gonorrhea infections. Of the 561 cases of primary and secondary syphilis reported in 2014, 484 were attributed to men, compared to 77 attributed to the female population statewide.2-8
The racial demographic group most adversely affected by HIV and AIDS in Cleveland is the African American population, accounting for 62% of all 3,319 infections reported in 2013. The African American population across Ohio, including Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, sees similarly high numbers affection in relation to other STDs like chlamydia, gonorrhea and P&S syphilis. In fact, this group accounted for 35.2% of all new chlamydia infections, 50.6% of all new gonorrhea infections and 52.6% of primary and syphilis infections between 2014 and 2015. Men who haves sex with men (MSM) are a particularly high-risk group for certain sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, claiming 60% of all reported Cleveland infections in 2013.2-8
Spreading the word about getting tested for sexually transmitted disease, especially in underserved communities containing populations that are at high risk for infections, is an effective way for lowering the STD rates in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.
Why waste your time worrying about your sexual health and enjoy what you love, like a lazy afternoons in Willard Park? Getting tested is most conclusive way to determine your STD status. Almost all STDs can be treated and many cured, so prolonging testing for anyone at risk has the potential to cause more problems than it solves.
Reaching out to STDtest.com’s testing partners online or by phone is a great way to get started. By answering a few simple questions, you’ll receive a doctor-recommended panel of tests. Next, you’ll select a testing option. You can visit a local lab from a national network of thousands for sample collection, no appointment required. If available in your area, you can can get tested at home, work or another convenient location with In-Home Collection that same day with only an hour’s notice.
For both options, you’ll be able to access your results usually within three business days or less. The medical team is available to answer any follow up questions and even to prescribe any follow up medication, if appropriate and if allowed by state law. Get tested. It’s for your better health.