Plano is a pleasant central Texas city with a penchant for arts and culture, with an extra glint of glamour provided by Southfork Ranch, the set of the famous 80’s television show Dallas. Plano is the 9th largest city in the state, and combined with the greater Collin County area, this area is home to over 914,000 residents.1 With sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, gonorrhea and syphilis on the rise in the Plano and Collin County area,2&3 it’s important to get tested and treated for these commonly reported conditions. This is one of the most effective methods for lowering their rate locally and globally. It can take weeks in advance to secure an appointment at your primary care physician for testing, and free clinics can sometimes experience crowded waiting rooms. STDtest.com provides a different option, complete with the same exemplary standards of privacy and patient care, with an added emphasis on speed and convenience. Read on to learn more.
Collin County is situated nearby the bustling Dallas-Fort Worth area, providing an enviable mix of laid-back suburban living surrounded by growing urban communities. As towns all over Texas continue to boom and attract more enterprise and the relocation of young people and their families, the more steadily the population rises, making the spread of communicable disease more likely. Across the state of Texas, Collin County ranks 10th for the number of chlamydia infections. Knowing the facts about STD testing is a simple first step of lowering this number.
STD testing might seem intimidating, embarrassing or even shameful, but it doesn’t need to be. According the to the CDC, all sexually transmitted can be treated and many can be cured. Common STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis are cured by antibiotics.4&5 If you have any questions or concerns about the testing process in Plano and Collin County, a dedicated team of Care Advisors is available 7 days a week from 6 AM – 10 PM CT to guide you each step of the way.
Chlamydia infections in Plano and Collin County continue to decrease, with 2,116 new diagnoses reported in 2014 compared to 2,197 in 2013, according to the most recently published reports from the Texas State Department of Health Services. Although trends show a decline in infections, it remains the most commonly reported STD in the area. One infection on the rise in Collin County is gonorrhea, with 419 new infections in 2014 compared to 399 the year before. Similarly, the number of cumulative syphilis cases are on the rise. This categorization is comprised of primary, secondary, early latent, late latent and late-stage syphilis. The number of total syphilis cases reported in Collin county saw a year-over-year increase of 57.6% from 2013 to 2014. Collin County ranked 11th in the state for the total number of syphilis infections.2
In 2014, 34 new HIV cases were reported in Plano, compared to 1,516 new infections all throughout Collin County. The countywide number represents an increase in diagnoses, with 84 reported in 2013 compared to 89 in 2014. The number of AIDS infections in the county are decreasing, according to information from the Texas State Department Health Services, with 32 new diagnoses in 2014 compared to 47 in 2013. Getting tested and linked to care helps to lessen the burden of living with HIV. Antiretroviral therapy for HIV positive patients can lead to viral suppression, but the first step in that essential linkage to care is an STD test.3
Sexual education is offered to students in Plano, according to curriculum outlined by the Plano Independent School District. The lessons aim to provide young people with a general understanding of sexually transmitted diseases, how they are defined and how they can be prevented. Texas does not require its public schools to provide any sexual education. If a district elects to instruct on this subject matter, it’s required that abstinence be stressed as the only 100% effective method of prevention against STDs and unintended pregnancy.6
As relayed to district parents in the mandatory opt-in letter, the proposed Human Sexuality lessons also incorporate healthy decision making skills in recognizing unsafe and risky situations as part of young people’s relationship development. It also stresses the importance that abstinence can have on mental health, an assertion that seems to avoid the realities of what happens when a young person is infected with an STD.6 Knowing the risk factors and resources available can help to treat these illnesses before they manifest into larger health issues. For example, sexually active young women under the age of 25 are particularly susceptible for chlamydia, an STD that can be cured effectively with antibiotics. Left undiagnosed and untreated, this condition can deteriorate into pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a significantly more serious infection.7
Across the state of Texas, young people are disproportionately affected by the spread of sexually transmitted disease. Of particular note is the 15-24 year old population, which accounts for 66.2% of all chlamydia infections and 57% of all gonorrhea infections reported in the state. The age group with the highest numbers of primary and secondary syphilis infections are 20-29 year olds. Regarding HIV, the age group with the highest percentage of infections in Texas is 20-29 year olds, with 40% of all new diagnoses reported in 2014.2&3
The differentiation between men and women in Texas when it comes to the rate of disease in the area is dependent on the infection. Women are affected by chlamydia infections in exceedingly higher numbers than men, with 73.9% of all infections in 2014. The difference of reporting between gender for gonorrhea is less drastic, with women accounting for 48.9% of all 2014 infections compared to 51.1% reported in men. Syphilis and HIV are two sexually transmitted infections that see a marked impact on the male population. 85.3% of all primary and secondary syphilis cases were reported by this group, and 81.3% of all HIV infections were reported in the male population. Getting tested and treated for these conditions is the most important step of lowering their impact in at-risk populations and in populations that have less access to resources and care.2&3
Plano residents should spend more time on activities they enjoy, like visiting the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve or shopping downtown, rather than feeling stressed about their STD status. Getting tested and linked to treatment if needed with STDtest.com is simple. By answering a brief series of questions about your sexual health and symptoms either online or by phone, you’ll receive a doctor-recommended panel of tests. After that, you can choose a testing option. You can select the lab nearest you from a national network of thousands for a brief visit (usually 30 minutes or less) to get your test samples collected, no appointment needed. If available in your area, you can get tested at home, work or anywhere you choose with In-Home Collection.
After test sample collection is complete, results are usually available within three business days or less. The medical team is available for follow up consults to answer your questions and even to prescribe treatment, if medically appropriate or if allowed by state law. Get tested. It’s for your better health.