The Mile-High City is a destination locals and tourists alike are enamored with, thanks to its legendary mountain vistas, laid-back culture and burgeoning foodie scene. Home to more than 663,000 people, this city in the mountains continues to grow, and with growth comes an even greater need to spread the word about STD testing and prevention. While Denver currently sees a decrease in the rate of sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhea, HIV rates continue to climb. Additionally, the city ranks as the top in the state for overall occurrence of sexually transmitted disease. If scheduling an appointment weeks in advance with your primary care physician or going to a free clinic doesn’t seem ideal, STDtest.com presents another option. This fast, confidential and affordable option could be the best fit for you. Read on to learn more.
For a variety of reasons, getting tested for STDs can seem taboo, embarrassing or even shameful. We’re here to help remove the stigma and inform Denver residents about what’s happening regarding the STD and HIV situation in your area, and also to encourage anyone at risk to get tested. At risk individuals include anyone who has had more than one sexual partner in the last year, anyone who may have been exposed to an STD through their partner or anyone who is experiencing STD-like symptoms. The list continues, but the important takeaway is urging anyone who could be at risk to get tested in a way that puts their concerns at the forefront.
A four step process is all it takes to get to the results you need. By answering a few questions, you’ll be recommended the right tests for you by our doctors. Next, visit the lab location nearest you for test sample collection. If available in your area, we can bring testing to you. For both options, you can access your results usually in three business days or less, and a medical team is available for any follow up questions you might have. Wouldn’t you rather spend your free time enjoying a game at Coors Field than waiting and wondering about your STD status?
Denver is part of a Colorado geographic region called the Front Range Counties. This region accounts for 67.7% of the state population, as well as 90.2% of all reported HIV/AIDS cases. In addition to Denver, other counties include in the Front Range include Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, El Paso, Fremont, Jefferson, La Plata, Park, Pitkin, Pueblo and Summit. In Denver, the rate of new HIV infections showed an increase in reporting from 2013 to 2014, with a rate of infection increasing from 38 cases per 100,000 one year to 47/100,000 the next.2
One sexually transmitted disease that saw a decrease in year-over-year data between 2013 and 2014 was chlamydia. Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STI in both Denver and Colorado. The 2013 rate of infection for chlamydia cases in Denver was 828.3 cases per 100,000 residents in 2013, compared to 680/100,000 in 2014. Gonorrhea incidence is starting to stabilize in the greater Colorado area, with a slight decrease in incidence between 2012 and 2013. The Denver area accounted for 34.7% of all cases in the state, according to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. Cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis also saw a decline from 2012 to 2013 in Colorado. 3-4
The Denver Public School District and schools across the state of Colorado support a comprehensive sexual education program. This is further defined as varied curriculum incorporating abstinence-based preventive strategy, contraception and prevention for sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS education and information for establishing healthy relationships and strong self-esteem. This curriculum, presented to students grades K-12, is mandated by the state of Colorado to be medically accurate and age appropriate.5
A report on the the state of prepared by Colorado Youth Matter and The Healthy Colorado Youth Alliance and distributed by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. The program stresses how complete information can guide youth to making proactive decisions. The call to action centers around providing service and mentorship that bolsters the self-esteem of teenagers and young adults in Colorado in an effort to decrease the shame and stigma surrounding certain risky behaviors.6
Colorado is considered a demographically rural state, which accounts for the major demographic distribution of sexually transmitted diseases to be spread amongst the more populated communities in the state, the Denver area being the most populous. In 2013, Denver, Montezuma and Arapahoe counties accounted for nearly 41.3% of all reported cases of chlamydia, with the highest concentration in Denver. The most commonly affected age group is 20-24 year old females, who demonstrated an infection rate of 3,233.1/100,000. In Colorado, females age 19-24 contract gonorrhea at more than 2.5 times the rate of males, with infection rates of 194.2/100,0000 compared to 80.2/100,000, respectively. The racial/demographic group that reports the highest number of gonorrhea cases in Colorado is white residents, but the African American population is diagnosed the highest rate of infection regarding their population in the state.3-4
Denver and the additional Front Range counties account for 90.2% of all HIV/AIDS cases in the state. One of the demographic groups most adversely affected by the rate of HIV in Colorado is the African American population, with an infection rate of 105/100,000, compared to a rate of 70/100,000 in the white population.2 Getting tested is a simple step to take in order to continue lowering the rates of STDs in Denver, the Front Range Counties and beyond.
Isn’t your time better spent enjoying a beautiful Denver day at Coors Field or a world-class concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheater than worrying about STD testing? STDtest.com is simple, cost-effective, professional and a discreet option for your STD testing needs. By logging on or calling in to the team of dedicated Care Advisors, you’ll start by answering a few brief questions, resulting in a doctor-recommended panel of tests. Next, you’ll select a testing option. You can then choose a local lab nearest you from a nationwide network of thousands for your test sample collection. No appointment is needed and same-day testing is often available. 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, results are usually available in three business days or less. The medical team is available to answer any follow up questions or even to prescribe additional care, if appropriate and allowed by state law. Get tested. It’s for your better health.