Memphis’ population is just over 650,000. In this mid-sized metropolis, there is no shortage of exciting activities to take part in. Whether you’re enjoying the Beale Street nightlife or taking a stroll through Overton Park, Blues City offers something for everyone. While Memphis’ STI rates are on the decline, they are still some of the highest reported in the state of Tennessee. In 2014, 301 new cases of HIV were reported in Memphis alone, 595 cases total were reported for the entire state.^{1 & 2}

Certain populations of Memphis are also disproportionately affected by the disease. Taking action and gaining knowledge about status is the most important step in preventing the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Our process is simple, effective and affordable. Whether you reach out online or call our dedicated team of Care Advisors, you’re on your way to answering questions resulting in a doctor-recommended panel of tests. You can take the STD test later that same day, no appointment required. The results will be available to you online after three business days or less, usually. Payment options can include insurance or out-of-pocket and billing is discreet. It’s a better option for STD testing that you can take advantage of right now in Memphis.

STD Test Statistics in Memphis, TN

In Memphis, sexually transmitted diseases saw an increase in 2012. In subsequent years, these statistics have been on the decline, according to reports from the Shelby County Health Department. However, STDs still have a notable presence in Memphis comparative to other state counties. The number of reported HIV infections is nearly double in Shelby County than Davidson County, home to Nashville.³

One of the STDs to see the most noticeable decline in cases is chlamydia. From 2012-2014, the county went from reporting 9,926 cases to 8,084 cases. Following a similar downward trend, 2,160 gonorrhea cases were reported in 2014 compared to 2,515 in 2013. Another STD with a reported decline was syphilis, with 397 cases total (including primary, secondary, early latent and late stage) were reported in 2014 compared to 530 in 2013.¹ The most effective way to continue these encouraging trends, especially in an area that sees the majority of infections across the state, is for anyone at risk to get tested. For any individual who has yet to get tested, now is the time to act and gain knowledge of your status.

STD Testing and Sexual Education in Memphis

Memphis and the greater Shelby County area is one of the 21 counties across the US that receive CDC funding for their health and sexual education programming. In accordance with the grant guidelines, the Shelby County School district is accountable to administer comprehensive sexual education and also to collect survey data from students in an effort to improve curriculum areas that are lacking.⁴

One of the initiatives offered by the school district are “Healthy Choice Weeks”. Presented by the Shelby County Schools Office of Coordinated Health, the initiative focuses on healthy risks taking and learning about sexual health in a safe, open environment. This special programming was developed to address the results of a CDC-funded survey concluding that many teens in the district reported to partake in “major risk-taking” behaviors.⁵

With a solid foundation in place, students are encouraged to ask questions and make the proper choices to keep them safe and healthy. For the percentage of young adults who engage in major risk-taking behavior in the Memphis area, it’s important to be aware of available STD testing options to maintain a clean bill of health in the future.

STD Testing and Demographics in Memphis

The demographic distribution of sexually transmitted diseases in Memphis and Shelby County skews disproportionately in the number of cases reported by African Americans. In all of the cases that require reporting to the health department, there is a significant gap between the rates reported by African Americans and the rest of the population.

Of the 287 new HIV infections reported in 2014, 234 were reported by members of the African American community. Of all of the individuals living with AIDS in Shelby County, 84% are African American. Similar statistics are seen in the reporting of chlamydia diagnoses (7,260 of 8,084 cases reported), gonorrhea diagnoses (971 cases out of 2,160) and primary and secondary syphilis diagnoses (of 74 cases, 71 were reported by African American).¹

Another demographic distribution discrepancy is seen in the diagnosis rates of men and women regarding chlamydia. Of the 8,084 cases reported to the Shelby County Health Department in 2014, 5,943 were in women. The most common age demographic affected by chlamydia is ages 15-24, and many people are unaware of the infection as it often presents without symptoms.

Your Best Memphis STD Testing Option

Staying healthy in Blues City is simple when you have the right options at hand. Don’t waste time waiting in a crowded waiting room at the doctor’s office or at a free clinic. STDTest.com’s service works with doctors to provide personalized STD testing recommendations, convenient testing locations via a lab of thousands of networks nationwide as well as convenient at-home testing with In-Home Collection, and delivers results in a secure and discreet manner. Have any questions? We’re here to help.

References:

1 Shelby County HIV/AIDS and STD Annual Surveillance Statistics, 2014
2 Tennessee Department of Health – HIV Disease Epi Profile for Tennessee (Entire State), 2014
3 Tennessee – County Health Rankings and Roadmaps
4 CDC – Funded Local Agency
5 Shelby County Schools Healthy Choices Week