They call this place Sin City for a reason. The rush of glittering lights, endless entertainment and the spirit of no-holds-barred amusement sets Las Vegas apart as one of the country’s most stand-out destination. For those who live here, it can be a great place to raise a family in the middle of the desert, away from the tourist trappings.
Sexual health in Las Vegas should be top of mind for the sexually active population of the metropolitan area that’s comprised of over 2.1 million people.1 With sexually transmitted diseases like HIV and gonorrhea on the rise, now is the time to discover your best STD testing option.2 With STDtest.com, answering intake questions online rather than at a doctor’s office or a free clinic saves time, testing takes a half hour or less and results are delivered in usually three business days or less.
Las Vegas is known as a hub for entertainment, as well as the location of Hoover Dam and monuments to American history in the West. Clark County where Las Vegas resides, is part of the Southern Nevada Health District. According to reports released from this district, the number of new chlamydia diagnosed each month in 2015 averaged about 39.1/100,000 people. Chlamydia sees the highest reported numbers of STD cases in Las Vegas. The rate of gonorrhea continues to increase in Clark County, with a reported case rate of 11.89 new infections per 100,000 people per month in 2015.2
Clark County’s continued rise of STDs makes it even more important for anyone at risk to get screened for STDs. Getting tested doesn’t need to involve lengthy appointments or an uncomfortable discussion at the doctor’s office. It can be fast, affordable and convenient for you. Read on to learn more.
According to 2015 data provided by the South Nevada Health Department, Clark County saw increases in the numbers of new HIV, gonorrhea and syphilis infections, while cases of chlamydia saw a slight year-over-year decrease.
Let’s examine the rise of HIV in Las Vegas first. The county reported 257 cases in 2013, 296 in 2014 and a total of 314 in 2015. This slight, incremental increase points to the potential for an upward trend to stabilize over the next few years. Proper preventive methods like pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and regular STD testing can aid in the continued stabilization of new HIV infections in the Las Vegas area.2
After extending past the 10,000 infection mark in 2014 with 10,145 cases recorded by the county in 2014, the reported impact of chlamydia in 2015 was slightly less the following year, with 10,002 new cases. On the other hand, as chlamydia numbers shift down, the rate of gonorrhea continues to progressively climb. In 2013, 2,272 cases were reported, followed by 2,762 in 2014 and 2,955 in 2015. With just under 20,000 cases reported annually across the United States each year, syphilis is a less commonly reported STDs, but left untreated, medical consequences can be severe.3 In Las Vegas and the greater Clark County area, 171 cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis were diagnosed in 2013, compared to 269 in 2014 and 273 in 2015.2
According the Sexual Education Operational Guide for K-12 curriculum development, all sexual education, both in Clark County and in the state of Nevada, is abstinence-based. Current statutes clarify the necessary instruction of age-appropriate lessons on the human body, communicable diseases and HIV, with an emphasis on accurate information. Abstinence is the only recommended form of teen pregnancy and STI prevention within the layout of the curriculum.4 Sexual education classes are required by Clark County grades 5-12. Nevada is one of 24 states in the nation that mandates both sexual education and HIV education in schools.5
Learning about HIV and sexually transmitted diseases can be helpful, but an abstinence-only approach ignores the statistics that nearly 10 million of the 20 million sexually transmitted diseases reported annually are in the 15-24 age group.3 Without access to and knowledge of preventive care, students risk STD exposure based on lack of information alone. Creating an open dialogue about methods that prevent STDs can help stop the spread of infection in local communities like Clark County and the greater Las Vegas area.
If any teenager is at risk, the next step is to get tested. The CDC recommends yearly screening for any female under the age of 25 to decrease the spread of the disease, since it affects women at statistically the highest demographic rate.6 For those over 18, our confidential and cost-effective testing option could be the best fit for you.
According to information provided by the Clark County Community Health Assessment Report, the number of men and women infected by chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in the Las Vegas area varies by disease. In the case of chlamydia, what once saw infection numbers nearly identical for men and women in the year 2000 saw nearly 8,000 infections reported in women compared to around 2,000 infections in men. Gonorrhea tends to affect men and women in nearly equal numbers in Las Vegas, with men reporting higher numbers in 2011. In the instance of syphilis, men are far more likely to be affected in higher numbers than women.
HIV infections in Las Vegas and Nevada see similar demographic trends that are present in large metropolitan areas across the country. According to AIDSVu, 374 people out of every one hundred thousand were living with HIV at the end of 2012. In the state of Nevada, 84% of new HIV infections were reported by men compared to 16% women, 78% of cases reported state-wide were in men who have sex with men (MSM), the most common risk group for HIV not just in Nevada but nationwide.8 To help with prevention of the spread of HIV in this community, PrEP plays an important role. Pre-exposure prophylaxis can be prescribed by a doctor to at-risk members of the community looking to take proactive control of their health.
Don’t let the shimmering lights of the strip blind you to the realities of STD prevalence in the Las Vegas and Clark County area. With STDs like HIV, gonorrhea and syphilis on the rise, now is the time to take charge of your health and get tested. With STDTest.com, you don’t need to schedule an appointment for weeks in advance. By answering just a few simple questions, you’ll receive a doctor-recommended panel of test. You can choose the best testing option for you, whether at a home, work, a lab or another convenient location. You’ll be notified of your test results in a secure, confidential portal usually within three business days or less. That’s it. Our Care Advisors are here to guide patients through the process, and our medical team is available for any follow up questions you have and to recommend further care. It’s for your health. Get tested.