Corpus Christi, located in Nueces County, is a community on the Gulf that is bursting with larger-than-life Texas personality. South Padre Island is located nearby, a destination spot each year for spring breakers of all ages, especially young people in high school and college. This waterfront town also sees an increase in new HIV and gonorrhea infections. Living along the beach might invite a carefree attitude, but sexual health is something to be taken seriously. Getting tested is important, but it shouldn’t be stressful. Scheduling an appointment with your primary care physician can take weeks and free clinic waiting rooms can sometimes be crowded. STDtest.com offers walk-in appointments at locations convenient to you, using the same FDA-approved tests. It’s a fast, convenient and affordable option. Read on to learn more.
Corpus Christi and Nueces County are home to nearly 350,000 residents.3 It also ranks in the top 10 counties in Texas for cases of chlamydia and primary and secondary syphilis, according to reports published by the Texas Department of State Health Services. One method of lowering the numbers and rate of infection in this city in the South of Texas is to encourage all residents at risk to get tested. According the CDC, all STDs can be treated and many can be cured, so getting tested is a crucial step in taking control of one’s personal sexual health. Many diseases that were depicted as more severe in the 80’s and 90’s like HIV are far more manageable today with the proper medication regimen.4
Who should get tested for sexually transmitted diseases in Corpus Christi? According to the CDC, there are several groups are more at risk than others, like young adults, gay and bisexual men and certain ethnic and minority populations. Certain risk behaviors call for STD testing as soon as possible, like unprotected sex. If you are in a relationship with a partner who is positive for an STI, you’ve had more than one partner in the past year or you’re experiencing STD-like symptoms, the sooner you get tested, the better. It’s also effective for providing peace of mind, no matter what the status. Again, lowering the elevated rates of sexually transmitted infections and perpetuating trends that are already on the decline depends on individuals making their personal sexual health a priority.
Chlamydia is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in Corpus Christi and in Nueces County as well as across the state of Texas. In this region, the number and rate of infection is currently declining year over year. In 2014, 2,567 new cases were reported to the Texas Department of Health State Services, compared to 2,598 in 2013. From 2010 to 2014, the highest number of chlamydia instances in Nueces County was 2,621 in 2012 and the lowest was 2,384 in 2010. Gonorrhea is a less commonly reported sexually transmitted infection, but its prevalence is still important in Corpus Christi. The latest reports demonstrate an identical number of infections in both 2013 and 2014 (739 infections). The latest Nueces County numbers reveal a slight increase of primary and secondary (P&S) infections in 2014 compared to the year before. Regarding HIV infections reported in the county area, numbers are slowly on the rise, with 8 more infections reported in 2014 compared to 2013.1
In 2014, Corpus Christi and the greater Nueces County area consistently ranked in the top 25 counties in Texas for the highest incidence of sexually transmitted disease. Nueces County was ranked 9th in the state for new chlamydia infections, 7th in the state for gonorrhea infections, 10th for P&S syphilis cases and 11th for the highest numbers of HIV across the state of Texas. A continued effort to encourage citizens to take preventive measures for safe sex and to get tested periodically when at risk is an effective method for keeping these ranges in check and on the decline.1&2
Sexual education in Corpus Christi, Nueces County and the state of Texas is reliant upon an “Abstinence-Only” model of education. The only explicit provisions accounted for in the Corpus Christi Independent School District Handbook is for parents to opt their students out of Human Sexuality curriculum. According to the Guttmacher Institute Report, detailing the sexual education policies of all states in the nation, Texas does not mandate any form of sexual education in its public school system.6 If an Independent School District chooses to teach this subject matter, in addition to an emphasis on abstinence-only, homosexuality is to be instructed as a negative lifestyle choice, as is sex outside of marriage. Traditional values in Corpus Christi help to dictate the nature of STD and HIV education in the classroom, which can be detrimental to the healthy development of teens in the area.
This approach to sexual education doesn’t seem to encompass the fact that across the United States, young people age 15-24 account for nearly half of the 20 million STDs diagnoses annually. In Texas, 65.9% of all chlamydia cases were attributed to this age group in 2014 alone. Informing young people about the risks of sexually transmitted infections, ways they can be prevented and how they can be treated and even cured is essential for a healthier population in Corpus Christi, Nueces County and beyond.2&7
As stated above, youth in Texas bear a significant weight when it comes to the demographic distribution in the state. In addition of claiming 69.5% of all chlamydia cases in the state, youth ages 15-24 also account for 58.6% gonorrhea infections and 27% of all primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis cases according to reports released by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The number of age group with the majority of reported HIV infections in Texas is the 20-29 year old age group, with 40.4% of all infections recorded in 2014.
Race and ethnicity are noticeable variables in the demographic composition of sexually transmitted disease in this area. Of the 128,036 chlamydia infections reported to the state, 45,514 were attributed to the Hispanic population.While the hispanic population experienced the highest numbers of diagnosis, the highest rate of infection was reported by African Americans in the case of chlamydia. In the case of gonorrhea, this group accounted for 38.7% of cumulative infections statewide. Primary and secondary syphilis sees fewer reported diagnoses compared to chlamydia and gonorrhea, and the demographic group affected most by its spread are Hispanics. In 2014, the racial/ethnic group reporting the most significant rate of HIV infection is the African American population, with a rate of 50.8 diagnoses per 100,000 residents.1&2 Observing how certain populations are more vulnerable to increased number of infections, spreading the word about the risks of STDs is important, as well as getting the word out about STD testing and treatment.
Spend time on more of what you enjoy, like lounging listlessly on the shores of Corpus Christi Bay, rather than feeling stress and impatience surrounding STD testing. Getting started is simple, either online or by phone. By answering a brief medical questionnaire, you’ll receive your doctor-recommended panel of tests, customized to your sexual history and symptoms. Next, you’ll choose a testing option. You can visit a local lab most convenient for you from a national network of thousands for a brief (less than a half hour) visit to collect your test samples, no appointment needed. If available in your area, you can get tested at home, work or another convenient location with In-Home Collection.
For both options, results are usually available within three business days or less. The medical team is available to answer any follow up questions you might have, to discuss your diagnosis or even to prescribe treatment, if appropriate and if available by state law. Get tested. It’s for your better health.