Lincoln is located in the heart of plains country in Nebraska, surrounded by plenty of great things to see and do, like the State Capital building and the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. Lincoln and the larger Lancaster County area is home to over 306,000 people1 and is experiencing a steady rise of sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia.2 Getting tested is an important step in slowing down the spread of disease and STDtest.com helps to simplify the process. If you’re feeling intimidated by visiting the doctor’s office to get tested or aren’t sure what to expect when you walk into a free clinic, we’re here to offer an option that is fast, confidential, affordable and is tailored to your schedule. Read on to learn more.
What are the reasons keeping you from getting tested for STD? Everyone in the Lincoln and Lancaster County area currently at risk should be tested yearly or periodically. Who is at risk? Anyone sexually active who has never been tested before, anyone engaged in sexual contact with multiple partners over the past year, anyone who fears they might have been exposed to an STI or similarly, anyone experiencing STD-like symptoms. Testing options in the Lincoln area don’t need to be limited. Our service offers a discreet, affordable way to get tested that focuses on the patient’s needs and peace of mind.
After answering a few brief questions, you’ll receive a doctor-recommended panel of tests, and an option to choose the lab nearest you for test sample collection. No appointment is required and same-day options are often available. Once the samples are collected, you’ll be able to access your results usually within three business days or less. Our medical team is on call to answer any questions and to even prescribe additional care, if appropriate and allowed by state law. With infections like HIV, chlamydia, chronic hepatitis B and syphilis on the rise in Lincoln and Lancaster County,2 getting tested is an easy way to take control of your own sexual health.
The most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in Lincoln and Lancaster County is chlamydia, which saw an increase in the number of infections from 2013 to 2014, or a rise from 1,381 to 1,480. This was the most significant increase of STDs in the area. The rate of HIV infection went up by 1 year over year, or from 7 to 9 between 2013 and 2014. Other syphilis (including all types with the exception of primary) increased from 9 to 20 infections in the given time frame, and chronic hepatitis B infections increased from 22 to 35 according the report released from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.
Syphilis does not occur frequently in Lincoln. From 2005-2014, 6 years reported zero cases. However, the number of infections climbed from 3 to 4 between 2013 and 2014. Common sexually transmitted diseases that saw a year-over-year decrease include gonorrhea, chronic hepatitis C and genital herpes. Between 2013 and 2014, the number of cases of gonorrhea decreased from 320 to 299, the number of HSV-2 (genital herpes) cases from 172 to 169, and the total number of chronic hepatitis C infections decreased from 240 to 184. With various sexually transmitted diseases in various states of fluctuation, increase and decline, it’s especially important to get tested to continue to stop the spread of disease and continue to decrease numbers across Lincoln and Lancaster County.
The sexual education curriculum presented at Lincoln Public schools stresses abstinence, but also includes mandated HIV/AIDS instruction, making healthy choices and establishing healthy relationships, learning about sexually transmitted diseases, contraception and prevention of teen pregnancy, according to curriculum made public by the Lincoln Public School system. One semester of health and sexual education is required in order to graduate high school. For primary, intermediate and middle school grades, health and family life related topics are presented regularly as part of school curriculum with attention to age-appropriateness and medical accuracy.
In 2014, the Nebraska state legislature proposed a bill that would fund a study investigating any link between risky behavior and academic achievement, and a coinciding plan to address the issues that would arise as a result. This motion failed to pass in the Nebraska legislature in 2015.5 The creation of an open dialogue about sexually transmitted disease with adolescents and young adults so that they are aware of the risks and preventive measures for teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases will help to continue lowering trends in the Lincoln area.
According to the 2014 CDC National STD Surveillance Report, Nebraska ranked 34th in the nation for rates of chlamydia infection, 32nd for gonorrhea rates, 36th for primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis rates, and is below the United States average for all three of these commonly reported sexually transmitted diseases.6
Statewide across Nebraska, women are more likely than men to contract chlamydia, with 4,945 cases reported in females compared to 2,357 reported in men in 2014. These statistics also demonstrate a decrease in the disease occurrence in women but an increase in men, as the 2013 numbers for women were 5,110 for women and 2,196 for men. The gender gap is closer for reported cases of gonorrhea in Nebraska, with women and men accounting for 770 and 686 new infections, respectively. Both men and women saw an increase in the number of infections from 2013 to 2014.6
The gender demographic distribution as it relates to HIV infections Nebraska sees a larger impact on males than females, with 80% of total cases attributed to males compared to 20% to females. The most affected age group for HIV was the 25-44 year old age bracket, accounting for 67.5% of all HIV infections. White people accounted for the racial/ethnic group with the highest numbers of infections with 59.5% of 2,952 known infections in the state.7 Spreading the word about STD testing to underserved groups in highly affected neighborhoods and communities is an important part of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.8 If you or someone you know is at risk, improve community health by getting tested and recommend the same to others.
Wouldn’t you rather spend your time engaged in activities you enjoy, like touring Sunken Gardens or catching a college football game at Memorial Stadium Lincoln that feeling stressed and overwhelmed by unanswered questions about your STD status. To get started, take a few minutes to answer brief questions regarding your sexual health history and any symptoms, occurring or recurring, either online or by phone. From there, you’ll receive a doctor recommended panel of tests. Next, you’ll select a testing option. You can get test samples collected at a local lab usually takes a half hour or less, no appointment required. 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, test results are usually available in three business days or less. Our medical team is available to answer follow up questions, discuss your diagnosis and even prescribe treatment, if medically appropriate or if prescribed by state law. Get tested. It’s for your better sexual health.