Irvine, California is known for being at the heart of Orange County and is one of the safest places in America to live, thanks to a consistently low crime rate. This affluent city is classified as a “planned community”, meaning that it’s manicured lanes and stunning estates in the area were designed well in advance.
Irvine is home to nearly 250,000 residents, and is part of the larger Orange County community that counts 3.15 million people1 in its statistical reporting area. Orange County is also home to other famous California locales like Anaheim and Laguna Beach. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, primary and secondary (P&S), early and late latent cases of syphilis are all on the rise in Orange County, making it more important than ever for those at risk to get tested for STDs. If you’re feeling shy about going your primary care physician or you aren’t quite sure what to expect at a walk in clinic, STDtest.com offers an alternative that is fast, confidential and affordable.
Irvine, California is one of 10 metropolitan areas in Orange County with a population exceeding 100,000 and reports the 7th highest number of residents living with HIV/AIDs.2 Irvine might seem picture-perfect from the outside, but there is always room for improvement when it comes to decreasing the rate of STDs in a local community. You can rest easy and enjoy the best that Irvine, like William R. Mason Regional Park, when you take the right steps towards knowing your STD status.
Our service works with a team of Care Advisors available 7 days a week to answer any questions you might have about the process. Getting started is as simple as answering a few brief questions about your sexual history and any current symptoms. You’ll then receive a doctor-recommended panel of tests. To collect your test samples, select a lab from our national network of thousands nearest you for a brief visit that lasts usually 30 minutes or less. You’ll be notified of your results usually within three business days or less. Our medical team is available to answer any follow up questions you may have or to even prescribe additional treatment, if appropriate and allowed by state law. If you have to wonder if you’re at risk for an STD, it might be time to get tested.
Most of the statistical reporting related to the population in Irvine is captured in report data summarizing the STD statistics seen in Orange County on the whole. In light of this, Irvine and Orange County have seen rises in STDs from 2010 to 2014, some seeing sharper increases than others. For a discussion of sexually transmitted diseases in this area, let’s start with the most commonly reported, chlamydia. In 2014, 9,292 cases were reported, compared to 8,550 in 2014. In this data set, the lowest reported numbers were in 2011 (7,926), and the highest number of infections are the most recently reported. Fewer gonorrhea infections are reported annually compared the numbers associated with chlamydia. In 2014, 1,796 cases were reported in Orange County, compared to 1,452 the year prior. 2011 was the lowest year for the data set for gonorrhea as well, with a reported 972 cases. While less commonly reported, cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis are also on the rise in the Orange County area. 205 cases were reported in 2014 compared to 199 in 2013.3-5
According to the 2014 California Department of Health 2014, 222 individuals were reportedly living with HIV/AIDS in the Irvine metropolitan area, with a rate of infection at 91.5 cases per 100,000 people. In 2014, 5,760 cases of people living with HIV were reported in Orange County as of December 31st, 2014. Additionally, 261 new diagnoses of HIV were reported that year. 275 new infections were reported in 2013. While this demonstrates a decrease from 2013 to 2014, 2012 reported even fewer new diagnoses (260).2&6
Sexual education in Irvine public schools and across the state of California integrates a comprehensive approach, emphasizing both the importance of making healthy choices and avoiding risky behavior as well as medically accurate, age-appropriate instruction on sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. This approach is mandated by California state law and is further outlined in the California Healthy Youth Act, amended by the state legislature as recently as January 2016.7 California also is one of the first states in the nation to include a mandatory section of sexual health and education focusing on sexual harassment, dating violence and consent, according to California Senate Bill 695.
An effort to make adolescents and young adults more aware of sexually transmitted diseases as well as how they are tested and treated is especially important regarding the high numbers of young people reporting STD infections in Orange County. In 2014, 15-24 year old females in Orange County accounted for 4,046 chlamydia cases reported. Young males age 15-24 are also at high risk, reporting a total of 1,392 cases that same year. STDs like chlamydia are often so prevalent because they present without any symptoms. Getting tested is the one sure way to be notified of one’s sexual health status. Almost all STDs can be treated and many cured, but left untreated can often evolve into more severe health issues, like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or epididymitis.9&10
In Orange County, the number of sexually transmitted diseases affecting the Hispanic population is higher than the rest of the other demographic groups surveyed. For example, of all the chlamydia cases affecting women in Orange County, Latina women reported 2,100 new infections, compared to the overall total of 9,252. Women are also disproportionately affected by this sexually transmitted disease compared to men. In 2014, 67.5% of all chlamydia cases were reported by women compared to the 32.4% reported by males. The most common age demographic for chlamydia infection is age 15-24.11
Gonorrhea also affects a higher number of males than females in in Orange County. The numbers are nearly the inverse of chlamydia infections, with 67.1% of new infections in 2014 reported by males compared to 32.7% reported by the female population of Orange County. The racial demographic group most impacted is the Hispanic population, accounting for 51.8% of all female infections and 44.1% of all male infections in 2014.11
When it comes to syphilis, men are the primarily affected party. Orange County’s statistics reveal that in 2014, 94.6% of all new infections were reported to the California Department of health my men. Again, the Hispanic population in the county showed the highest numbers and rates of infection, reporting 72.7% of cases among females and 55.6% of cases among males. HIV also impacts this population greatly. Of the people living with HIV/AIDS in Orange County, the Hispanic population accounts for 46.7% of total infections, while their total population in the area is 34.6%.2&11
Getting tested, especially for populations at a higher risk, is essential for either eventual cures of further linkage to care. There are different community resources available for testing, including STDtest.com. This option is simple, confidential and cost-effective. Once you know where you stand, we’re here to help you however we can.
Wouldn’t you rather spend your free time taking a hike in Bommer Canyon or with your family and friends at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater than waiting and worrying about STD testing? All you need to get started is answer a few quick questions. You’ll be given a doctor-recommended panel of STD tests, and you can choose the best time and location for you. No appointment is required, and same-day testing options are often available. Once you visit the lab, you’ll be notified of your test results usually in three business days or less. Our medical team is available to answer any of your questions, discuss your diagnosis and more. What are you waiting for? Get tested. It’s for your better health.