Seattle might be best known for the Space Needle, but there’s so much more to the Emerald City. You can keep the energy going with a trip to the fast-paced Pike Place Market or you can take a stroll through the Chihuly Garden and Glass when the drizzle threatens to keep locals and residents indoors. Seattle and the greater King County, Washington is home to over 2.1 million people 1 and also sees the rise of common STDs like HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhea, according to reports from the Seattle and King County Public Health Department.2&3
Seattle’s distinctive brand of beauty is the backdrop for famous TV shows and major musical movements. It’s rainy reputation is a defining characteristic of life in the Pacific Northwest. With continually rising numbers of sexually transmitted diseases in this major West Coast metropolis, it’s important for residents to know the facts, risk factors, testing and treatment options for these conditions. According to the CDC, all STDs can be treated and many can be cured, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis.4
STDs without a cure, like HIV, certain forms of viral hepatitis and genital herpes, can be managed with medicine to greatly improve the patient’s overall quality of life. However, in order to get linked to the best possible treatment, a diagnosis is needed. Those diagnosed with HIV and linked to antiretroviral therapy (ART) can achieve viral load suppression, meaning that the virus is barely detectable in their system. ART also helps lower the likelihood of HIV transitioning to AIDS as well of the likelihood of passing the infection from one partner to another. However, it is extremely important for partners to use protection during sex, no matter the viral load count.5-7
According to reports from the Seattle and King County Public Health Department, the number of new HIV diagnoses is rising in the metropolitan statistical area, with 281 new infections reported in 2014 compared to 251 the year before. From 2010 to 2014, the highest reported number of HIV cases was 288 in 2012, and the lowest was in 2013 with 251. The most commonly reported STI in Seattle, the greater King County area, as well as in the state of Washington and all across the United States is chlamydia. The number of chlamydial infections in this area continues to climb, with 6,939 in the population in 2013 compared to 6,897 in 2012. From 2010 to 2013, the total number of chlamydia diagnoses increased by 12.8%.2&3
Another sexually transmitted disease similarly on the rise in the Seattle region is gonorrhea. The King County Public Health Department reported 1,805 new cases in 2013, compared to 1,560 in 2012. While a decrease in infections took place between 2010 and 2011, the rate and number continues to climb. From 2011 to 2013, the overall number of new cases increased by 38.7%. Syphilis is reported in far fewer numbers compared to chlamydia and gonorrhea, and this sexually transmitted infection continues to decline in the greater Seattle and King County area. In 2013, 329 new cases were reported, compared to 345 the year before. From 2010 to 2013, the lowest number of infections was reported in 2010, with 295. It’s important for the residents of Seattle and King County to continue getting tested and treated, when medically appropriate, to help improve the sexual health of the community.
The state of Washington mandates sexual education in schools that is age-appropriate, medically accurate and inclusive of all students, identities and orientations. As with many programs across the United States, all parents need to be notified that sexual education is being introduced in their student’s classroom and exercise the right to opt them out of the curriculum. Comprehensive sexual education covers various topics including abstinence as the only 100% effective method of avoiding STDs, HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancy, as well as the importance of condoms and birth control for helping to avoid these sexual health risks as well. Working on relationship development, healthy decision making skills, recognizing abusive or harmful relationships and how to leave them is also an integral part of the sexual education conversation in classrooms across Seattle and King County.8
Opening up this conversation between students and influential adults like teachers, parents and mentors about the resources available for better maintenance of their sexual health. When it comes to the tough decisions, for example, when a young person has unprotected sex and is thinking about the next steps to take, it’s important to have support and knowledge. As mentioned, all STDs can be treated and many can be cured. However, STDs left untreated can lead to more serious medical issues, especially for young people. Untreated STDs are one of the leading causes of infertility, accounting for nearly 24,000 new cases of infertility each year. Removing the stigma and fear around this routine process can make the difference between a reproductively healthy young woman or a woman affected by the emotional pain of infertility.8
Viewing the data of the demographic distribution of sexually transmitted infections in the Seattle and King County area, it is apparent that men who have sex with men (MSM) show high risk for contracting conditions. According to reports from the King County Public Health Department, the numbers of chlamydia and gonorrhea infections in this group continues to rise, specifically the number of rectal and pharyngeal (throat) gonorrhea. Another group that sees high numbers of reported sexually transmitted infections in the area are certain racial and ethnic groups, with numbers in disproportion to their representation in the general population. Latinos account for the highest number of reported STDs in the MSM community, and African American men account for the highest affected population in the MSW (men who have sex with women) community.3
Men who have sex with men also account for the highest number of HIV infections in Seattle and King County, with 64%. The racial/ethnic group with the highest number of HIV infections is the Caucasian population, with 55% of the HIV infections reported to the Washington State Department of Health. Men typically are diagnosed with HIV in far higher numbers than women, in line with trends observed across the country. Of the 1,421 cases reported in 2014, 1,226 were attributed to the male population group.2 Working with community resources to coordinate testing for these at-risk groups is important for helping to lower the rate of HIV and AIDS in the greater Seattle and King County area.
Spend more of your free time in Seattle engaged in what you enjoy, like a visit to the beautiful nearby natural wonders like Bainbridge Island and Snoqualmie Falls, rather than feeling stressed and worried about an unknown STD status. Getting started with STDtest.com is simple. By answering a few questions online or by phone, you’ll receive a personal doctor’s recommendation for the tests you should take. Next, you’ll pick a testing option. You can choose a local lab nearest you for a short visit (usually 30 minutes or less) to collect your test samples, no appointment needed. If available in your area, we can bring the lab to you. With In-Home Collection, a trained Lab Collection Specialist will make a house call to collect your test sample, with only an hour’s notice needed.
For both options, test results are usually available in three business days or less. Our medical team is available for follow up to discuss your diagnosis, answer any remaining questions you might have and even to prescribe follow up treatment, if medically appropriate and if allowed by state law. Get tested. It’s for your better health.