This Northern Florida city by the ocean is a burgeoning metropolis with plenty to offer locals and tourists alike. Favorites like Little Talbot Island State Park and Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens are hallmarks of this scenic metropolis. Communal health in Jacksonville and Duval County can be compromised by the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, which makes getting tested and treatment not only a matter of personal health but an action towards the betterment of health of the community. STD testing can sometimes carry a stigma of shame or embarrassment, but we’re here to help lessen the burden and help anyone at risk breathe a sigh of relief. A dedicated team of Care Advisors is available to answer any questions you might have at any step of the process.

Knowing who is at risk and what behaviors can lead to the spread of sexually transmitted disease is an important step in the path to testing, treatment and in the case of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis, getting cured. To start, it’s recommended that any sexually active person who has never been tested, anyone who has been exposed to an STD, anyone with a partner who is positive and anyone experiencing STD-like symptoms should get tested as soon as possible. Anyone in a high-risk group, like gay or bisexual men or adolescents and young adults, should be screened yearly to prevent and protect against the spread of these commonly reported infections.⁶

STD Test Statistics in Jacksonville, FL

The disease reported with the most frequency in Jacksonville and the Duval County area, and as of the most recent data published by the Florida Department of Health. Duval County ranks 5th in the state for the reported number of chlamydia infections, with 5,698 reported in 2014. This is a decrease from the year before, which had 5,773 infections. In 2014, Duval County ranked 5th in the state for the chlamydia rate of infection. Conversely, gonorrhea infections in this area continue to climb. In 2012, 1,736 infections were reported in the county, compared to 2,090 in 2013 and 2,188 in 2014. In the state of Florida, Duval County ranked 3rd for the number of gonorrhea infections and 1st in Florida for the rate of infection in 2014.^2-6

Cases of infectious syphilis are also on the rise in Jacksonville and Duval County, revealing a year-over-year increase of 40 infections to 63 from 2013 to 2014. In this area of Florida, the numbers of new HIV infection continue to climb, reporting 308 in 2012 compared to 317 in 2013. A continued effort for anyone at risk to get tested is important for slowing down and even stopping the spread of sexually transmitted disease. Many common sexually transmitted diseases present without any symptoms, making it even more important for periodic or yearly for these frequent infections.^2-6

STD Testing and Sexual Education in Jacksonville

Sexual education in Jacksonville and Duval County continues to shift and change. As recently as 2008, the city and the state of Florida received funding supporting “Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage” education, according to a report released by the Sexual Information and Education Council of the United States.⁸ As of 2015, the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards as well as curriculum established by the Duval County Public Schools Board of Education, all Jacksonville students are to receive comprehensive sexual education. This form of education places emphasis on various methods of contraception and sexually transmitted disease prevention, as well as abstinence as an effective method of keeping STDs and unintended pregnancy at bay.^9-10

Comprehensive sexual education also aims to provide the skills for students to recognize and separate themselves from abusive and unhealthy relationships, boost the skills needed to develop more healthy relationships, as well as a focus on decision-making skills and an strong sense of self-esteem.^9-10 Duval County is also the recipient of funding from the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health. This grant incentivizes the Duval County Board of Education to provide, in the words of CDC, “exemplary sexual health education”, as well as promoting community services in the area that are available to teens, ensuring the proper training of teachers so they in turn provide age-appropriate, medically-accurate lessons, in addition to administering and reporting survey data from the Youth Behavior Risk Survey, an effort to help close the gaps in the curriculum and to improve sexual education not just in Jacksonville and Duval County, but all across the country.¹¹

STD Testing and Demographics in Jacksonville

The demographic distribution of sexually transmitted disease in Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida often depends on the specific infection, however, this Florida city still models trends seen all across the country. For example, like in nearly every major metropolis in the US, the Duval County area reports chlamydia infections in far higher numbers in women than in men, with 70% compared to 30% of all diagnoses as of March 2016, respectively. In this area, the gap between male and female gonorrhea infections is less apparent, with women accounting for 49% of new cases compared to males, with 51%. Infectious syphilis numbers and rate of infection continues to see the highest reports coming from the male population, with 75% of syphilis infections attributed to males in Jacksonville and Duval County.¹²

The most commonly impacted racial/ethnic group by the spread of chlamydia in the greater Jacksonville/Duval community is the African American population, reporting 51% of all new infections through March of 2016. The racial/ethnic group reporting the highest number of gonorrhea infections in 2016 is the African American group, with 64% of all cases reported to the Florida department of Health. Regarding the spread of syphilis in this Northeastern Florida county, the racial/ethnic population reporting the highest percentage of new syphilis infections is African American, with 75% of new infections. Continuing to spread the word to high-risk populations is important for lowering the numbers and rates of sexually transmitted disease not just in Jacksonville and Duval County, but across the state of Florida and all around the United States.¹²

Your Best Jacksonville STD Testing Option

Why not spend more of your free time along the beautiful beaches of Jacksonville than waiting and worrying about your sexual health status? Getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases is simple, convenient, affordable and confidential with STDtest.com. To get started, all that’s needed is to answer a few simple questions to receive a doctor-recommended panel of tests, customized to your personal history and symptoms. Next, you can select a testing option. You can select a lab location most convenient for you from a national network of thousand for a brief visit (usually 30 minutes or less), no appointment required. If available in your area, you can get tested at home, work or anywhere you choose with In-Home Collection.

For both options, results are usually available in three business days or less. The medical team is available for follow up questions, to discuss your diagnosis and even to prescribe treatment, if medically appropriate and if allowed by state law. Get tested. It’s for your better health.

References:

1 US Census Bureau Quick Facts – Jacksonville and Duval County, FL
2 Florida Health Charts: Gonorrhea Cases
3 Florida Health Charts: Infectious Syphilis Cases
4 Florida Health Charts: Total Gonorrhea, Chlamydia & Infectious Syphilis
5 Florida Health Charts: Chlamydia Cases
6 Monthly Surveillance Report (Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, STD and TB)
7 The Lowdown on How to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Disease
8 Sex Education in the Sunshine State
9 Next Generation Sunshine State Standards
10 Duval County Public Schools Health Education
11 CDC – Funded Local Agencies
12 Duval County Epidemiology Surveillance Report The Florida Department of Health (DOH) in Duval County, Epidemiology March 2016