Reno might be in the midst of the desert, but this state capital shines with bright casino lights and plenty of poker tournaments at sprawling hotels like the Eldorado Reno and the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino. Reno might be less flashy than the more famous Las Vegas, but the sin of that city extends to this gambling haven. One aspect of life in Reno that you should not take your chances with is your sexual health.
With STDs like HIV on the rise in Reno, 1&2 getting tested and treated is a smart way to stay on top of these commonly reported infections. Scheduling an appointment with your primary care doctor can mean waiting weeks before your appointment date arrives, and the waiting room at a free clinic can feel crowded and overwhelming. STDtest.com is a convenient, discreet and quality way to get STD testing on your terms. Read on to learn more.
Reno and the greater Washoe County area is home to over 446,000 residents.3 The majority of all sexually transmitted diseases in the state of Nevada are accounted for in Washoe and Clark county, home to Reno and Las Vegas, respectively. Shouldering much of the population of the state, it’s important for any individuals at risk to get tested. Anyone sexually active who has never been tested before, anyone recently engaged in unprotected sex, anyone in a relationship with an STD-positive partner who has yet to be tested and anyone who for any reason believes they might be at risk for an STD should be tested as soon as possible in “The Biggest Little City in the World”.
According to the CDC, all STDs can be treated and many can be cured, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. For those STDs without a cure, like HIV, certain strains of viral hepatitis and genital herpes, these conditions can be managed with medicine that makes transmission less likely and in the case of HIV, it can slow down or stop the transition to AIDS and can greatly improve the patient’s quality of life. However, for the majority of these conditions, a diagnosis is needed for treatment. An STD left undiagnosed and untreated can lead to more serious health complications, including infertility in young women.5-8
As mentioned before, one sexually transmitted disease that continues to see a rise in Reno and the greater Washoe County area is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In 2013, the rate of HIV infection in county reporting area was 8.8 new infections per 100,000 residents, compared to 5.8 the year before. The 2013 Washoe County rate of infection is lower than the Nevada state rate of HIV infection reported in 2013 (15.9/100,000). In 2012, the number of chlamydia infections reported in Washoe County accounted for 14.6% of the total number reported across the state of Nevada. The Nevada average rate of chlamydia infection compared to the U.S. average rate is 388.2 cases per 100,000 residents and 457.6/100,000, respectively.1&2
In Washoe County, 238 new gonorrhea infections were reported in 2012. In that year’s reporting, the Nevada state average infection rate was 56.7 per 100,000 residents and the average gonorrhea rate of infection all across the United States was 104.2/100,000. Reno and the greater Washoe County area accounted for 14% of the total primary and secondary syphilis infections in the area with 16 total cases. Compared to chlamydia and gonorrhea, syphilis is reported in far less frequent numbers, but can lead to severe medical consequences if left untreated. For example, undiagnosed and untreated P&S syphilis can lead to ocular syphilis (a syphilis infection of the eye), neurosyphilis (a syphilis infection of the brain) or congenital syphilis, a condition passed from mother to child that is very dangerous for the newborn.2&9
The state of Nevada requires both sexual education and HIV/AIDS for students public schools grades 7-12. As a requirement of this instruction, all education surrounding these topics must focus on abstinence as the primary or sole method of effectively avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancy. All education presented must be fact-based and medically accurate. In Washoe County, the sexual education curriculum is called S.H.A.R.E, which is short for Sexuality Health And Responsibility Education. In addition to providing information about abstinence-focused sexual health, another goal of the program is to educate young people on establishing healthy decision making skills.10
While mandatory sexual education is important for the better development of students as they transition to adulthood, making the wider variety of options for safe sex and STD avoidance a part of the larger discussion in a safe educational setting can be a cause for confusion or ignorance about how to protect themselves as they age. In the United States, young people ages 15-24 account for 27% of the sexually active population, and are estimated to report nearly 50%, or 10 million new STDs each year. 8 For those teens who do not practice abstinence as a method of STD avoidance, knowing the risks, getting tested and getting treated if they are positive for certain conditions helps to make the future brighter for young people in Reno and Washoe County.
Of the total chlamydia infections reported to the Nevada Health Department in 2012, 1,629 were reported in women. These infections accounted for 13.4% total Nevada state infections seen in females. Even thoug fewer infections were reported in men in this time frame, this population in Reno accounted for 17.1% of male chlamydia infections reported in Nevada. Of the 238 gonorrhea infections reported in Washoe County in 2012, 96 were reported in females, compared to 142 reported in males. The female infections in Washoe County made up 9.8% of total Nevada infections, and the male infections 11.1% of the Nevada total.2
The racial/ethnic group most affected by the spread of chlamydia in the state of Nevada is the caucasian population, accounting for 23.8% of all reported infections in 2012. Looking at the data for gonorrhea as presented by the Nevada Department of Health, the racial/ethnic group with the largest number of gonorrhea infections reported by the local health authorities was the African American population, with 30.8% of total infections. White people reported 50.9% of all syphilis infections across the state of Nevada in 2012. One group at very high risk of contracting HIV in Reno as well as in Nevada is men who have sex with men (MSM), who reported 77% of new HIV infections in 2013. 1&2 Continuing to educate, encourage and make more resources available for testing for these at-risk populations is an important step in lowering the STD rates not just in Reno and Washoe County, but across Nevada and all around the United States.
Stress less and get back to the gaming when you take a test that puts your worries about your STD status to rest. STDtest.com works with you to make this process as simple, convenient and professional as possible. To get started, you’ll answer a short medical questionnaire online or by phone to receive a personal doctor’s recommendation of the tests you should take. Next, you’ll select a testing option. You can choose a local lab from a national network of thousands for a short visit (usually 30 minutes or less) where your samples will be collected for testing. If available, you can get tested at home, work or anywhere you choose with In-Home Collection. A lab tech can come to you an hour after you make the request to collect your samples and send them off for testing.
For both options, results are usually available in three business days or less. Our medical team is available for free follow up consults to discuss your diagnosis and to help set up a treatment plan, if medically appropriate. Get tested. It’s for your better health.