Winston-Salem is a city steeped in Southern colonial tradition with a modern feel. After all, it’s known as the “City of Arts and Innovation” for good reason. The Old Salem Museums and Gardens and the Reynolda House Museum of Art are just some of what makes this sweet Southern metropolis stand apart from the rest. However, in Winston-Salem and the greater Forsyth County area, sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and syphilis (all stages – primary, secondary and tertiary) are on currently on the rise.1
Most STDs present without any symptoms, so getting tested is the most effective way of getting a diagnosis and treatment, if medically appropriate. Scheduling an appointment for testing at your primary care physician’s office can mean waiting weeks before you get in, and the waiting room at a free clinic can be crowded. STDtest.com offers a different alternative with the same FDA-approved tests and is additionally tailored to your personal schedule. Read on to learn more.
If you’re at risk for a sexually transmitted disease, why not get testing out of the way quickly so you have more free time to take part in something uniquely Winston-Salem, like a visit to Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art? Who is at high risk for STDs? Anyone sexually active who has never been tested, anyone who recently had unprotected sex, anyone with more than one sexual partner recently or in the past year, anyone in a relationship with a positive partner or anyone experiencing STD-like symptoms after a possible exposure should get tested as soon as possible. Certain populations, like sexually active young women under the age of 25, are recommended by the CDC to get tested yearly for chlamydia.2
According to the CDC, all STDs can be treated and many cured, in the case of chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and syphilis. For STDs without a cure, like HIV/AIDs, certain forms of viral hepatitis and genital herpes, getting linked to the proper medical regimen can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for people with conditions. However, people cannot get treated without a definitive diagnosis. STD testing can provide peace of mind and guide the way to a cure or life-saving treatment, while leaving an STD untreated can lead to more serious medical consequences, like infertility. Don’t ignore the risks. Make the right choices to get linked to the right care.3-6
Two commonly reported sexually transmitted diseases in the greater Winston-Salem and Forsyth County area that saw major year-over-year according to recent reports from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are syphilis (all stages) and gonorrhea. From 2013 to 2014, number of new gonorrhea infections in the area jumped 19.7%, with 935 new infections reported in 2014 compared to 751 the year before. Syphilis’ recent dramatic increase was from 2012 to 2013, with a 58.8% year-over-year uptick. As of 2014, this trend is starting to stabilize, with 50 new cases reported in 2014 compared to 51 in 2013, preceded by 21 in 2012. From 2009 to 2014, the highest number of gonorrhea cases was reported in 2014, and the highest number of syphilis cases was reported in 2010. 1
One sexually transmitted disease on the decline in the Forsyth County area on the decline as of the most recent reports is HIV, with 65 new diagnoses reported in 2013 compared to 50 in 2014. After a peak number of infections in 2009 (3,048), chlamydia in the Winston-Salem and Forsyth County Metropolitan area continues to fluctuate is currently declining, as of 2014. In 2013, 2,418 new chlamydia infections were reported, followed by 2,420 in 2014. Getting tested and treated, if medically appropriate, is one the simplest ways individuals can take control of public health. Knowing your status means means helping slow down the spread of sexually transmitted disease in not just Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, but across North Carolina and the country at large.
According to North Carolina state law, public schools are mandated to teach to the standards that abstinence until marriage is the most effective method for prevention and avoidance of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancy, and that the practice of abstinence is the socially acceptable standard for all children of school age. Also, House Bill 88 provides the guideline that a “mutually faithful monogamous heterosexual relationship in the context of marriage is the best lifelong means of avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, including
HIV/AIDS.” This lack of diversity when it comes to discussing alternative methods of contraception, prevention and lifestyle choices can prove more harmful than effective when it comes to providing students with the skills to make healthy choices regarding their sexuality and sexual behavior.
Creating an open dialogue about the realities of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, how they can be prevented, tested and treated is essential for young people to be aware of the big picture that is their overall sexual and reproductive health. Across the United States, young people ages 15-24 account for nearly 10 million of the 20 million estimated STDs reported each year to the CDC, which is disproportionate compared to their number in the sexually active population (27%). Knowledge and education is power, and can make a difference in the lives of young people in Winston-Salem at risk for these commonly reported infections.
According to the 2013 Forsyth State of the County Health Report, this North Carolina county ranks third among the urban county in the state for the rate of chlamydia, gonorrhea and early syphilis, behind Durham and Guilford. Forsyth ranks 5th out of the state’s urban counties for both HIV and AIDS diagnoses. Regarding the demographic distribution of HIV in the Winston-Salem and Forsyth County metropolitan statistical area, men accounted for 65.4% of all 2012 diagnoses, compared to women with 34.6%. The age group reporting the highest number of new infections in this time period in Forsyth county is the 50+ year old population segment, accounting for 50% of new infections. The community group with the highest risk of HIV infection is men who have sex with men (MSM), who accounted for 30.8% of all new HIV infections.10
Reaching out to groups who are high risk or are in areas that are underserved by community resources to encourage testing and linkage to treatment is an essential aim of the National HIV/AIDS strategy, the 2015 plan proposed by the United States Government to lower the rate and eventually eradicate the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) across the country and across the globe.11
Why not dedicate more of your free time to what you enjoy, like a sunny day with family and friends catching a game at BB&T Field, rather than feeling stressed and concerned about your unknown STD status? Getting started with STDtest.com is simple. To begin, you’ll answer a few brief questions to receive the right tests for you, recommended by our doctors. Next, you’ll either visit a lab (no appointment needed) or the lab can come to you within an hour of your request to collect your test samples. For both options, test results are usually available in three business days or less. You’ll then be able to follow up with our medical team for a consult to discuss your diagnosis, answer any remaining questions and even receive prescribed treatment, if medically appropriate and if allowed by state law. Get tested. It’s for your better health.