This midwestern city welcomes just over one million residents is home to a variety of museums and a world-class higher education institution in the Washington University at St. Louis.³ When getting tested for STDs in the St. Louis area, there are a few options to consider. It’s possible to get free STD testing at a doctor’s office or at a free clinic, however, waiting for an opportune time to take off work or schedule the appointment could delay the testing process. Working with STDtest.com ensures a doctor recommendation of which tests to take, an option for same-day testing that usually takes 30 minutes or less, notification of your secure test results in usually three business days or less and follow up care provided by our medical team. From start to finish, a dedicated team of Care Advisors is available to help with questions you have about the process.

In a city like St. Louis that is starting to see major increases in the rate of STD infections, getting tested is incredibly important. The St. Louis area is seeing a combination of rising and falling trends, like a reported decline of reported chlamydia cases continues to decrease in the 15-19 age demographic, showing the lowest levels in a decade. However, there was an 80% increase of reported cases of gonorrhea in males age 15-19 in 2015 compared to the same window in 2014 (74 cases compared to 41).² With the youth continually at risk, spreading the word about STD testing that is fast, confidential and affordable is worth it.

STD Test Statistics in St. Louis, MO

Of the diseases that are reported annually to the St. Louis County Department of Health, the most common is chlamydia. From 2014 to 2015, the disease started to see a decline in year over year data. This includes a 7% decrease in overall cases from January to April 2015, as compared to the same time period in 2015. At the time of reporting, the data showed a total of 1,617 cases of chlamydia in the greater St. Louis area.²

Gonorrhea is an STD in St. Louis that has seen a year-over-year increase of 5%. With 610 cases reported, it is below average compared compiled years of reporting. However, above average numbers were reported for males contracting the infection in 2015. Syphilis saw an average of 26 cases per year reported in St. Louis from 2010 to 2015. The numbers increase and decrease back and forth year to year, as evidenced by the data provided by the St. Louis County Department of Health Communicable Disease Control Services. In the data collected through April 2015, the county reported 31 cases of early syphilis, a 40% increase from the year before.²

The trends of new reported cases of HIV in St. Louis have remained relatively stable in the last half decade of reporting, according to data provided by the 2014 Epidemiologic Profiles of HIV, STD and Hepatitis in Missouri. From 2013 to 2014, the number of new cases even trended downward, from 250 to 228 total diagnoses.² This control over the spread of HIV is encouraging. Getting tested and treated is naturally the most important step in confirming status and slowing the spread of disease in the local St. Louis community. To lower STIs with increasing numbers like gonorrhea and syphilis and to keep the rate of infections like HIV and chlamydia on the decline, anyone at risk should get tested.

STD Testing and Sexual Education in St. Louis

With the rates of STDs in teens, especially gonorrhea, continue to rise, it’s important to examine the education provided by public schools that help to bolster the greater knowledge of young adults living in the area. Many STDs present without any symptoms, so getting tested is one way to ensure that the spread stays under control.

Recent legislature passed by the state of Missouri speaks to a relatively new issue arising in the field of sexual education and teen safety overall. In a law passed in August 2015, public schools in the state of Missouri are required to include a lesson on internet safety and the dangers of sexting and its impact on the spread of risky behavior within the larger sexual education curriculum administered. This approach addresses a newly developing problem that is widely reported in the popular media as a speculated source of increased sexual activity.⁴

This effort to curb risky behavior when it comes to sex is a new stride for Missouri schools. To continue the decrease of this behavior and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in St. Louis county, continual testing is needed. STDtest.com offers a service to anyone 18 or older that makes STD testing discreet, simple and affordable. Young adults can breathe easier when they are more assured of their status.

STD Testing and Demographics in St. Louis

The demographic breakdown of St. Louis HIV care region (including St. Louis, St. Louis City, Warren, Lincoln, St. Charles, Franklin and Jefferson Counties) displays a demographic distribution that is disproportionately represented in the reporting of sexually transmitted diseases. To break it down, this area is reported as 73.1% Caucasian, 19.4% African American and 2.7% Hispanic. The HIV care area is about double the size of St. Louis at about two million people, but this larger number incorporates all included in the city’s medical service area. Of the 228 new infections diagnosed in 2014, 80.7% were reported by men and 19.3% were reported by women. 66.7% of cases were reported by African Americans, compared to 29.2% white and 2.2% Hispanic.¹

Scaling it back to the data collected primarily in St. Louis County and city, while the overall trend in new chlamydia cases is down, there was a 13% increase in infection reports by women age 20-24, and this trend has been evident for the past three years. The highest demographic increase seen in reports of gonorrhea cases the 80% increase in new cases in males age 15-19. Early syphilis cases in St. Louis saw a 700% increase in the female population, going from 1 case to 8 in 2014.²

In St. Louis, it’s important to be aware of the statistics and what individuals can do to help improve the overall health of their community. Anyone who is sexually active and hasn’t been tested, any person with multiple partners or has been exposed to an STD should get tested to help determine the next steps, if any, in clearing up their health. There are services provided by the city for walk-in appointments and it’s an option to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases at the doctor’s office, but you can take advantage of an option that’s more attune to your timetable. Our service works with a network of thousands of networks nationwide that make it simple to get tested at the most convenient time for you.

Your Best St. Louis STD Testing Option

Getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases in St. Louis should be fast, affordable and confidential. From our medical team, to our nationwide network or thousands of labs and other innovative testing options, to our secure billing process and our Care Advisors to guide you with any questions, we work to provide a superior healthcare option designed with the patient in mind. Isn’t your time better spent enjoying a game at Busch Stadium rather than waiting around at the doctor’s office or as a walk-in at a free clinic? Discover a simplified, convenient, confidential and affordable STD testing service now.

References:
1 St. Louis HIV Care Region
2 Year to Date STD Cases St. Louis County, MO January through April 2015 Year-To-Date (YTD) STD Report
3 St. Louis County Quick Facts – US Census Bureau
4 HB 501