Staff from District 4 Public Health and Gordon State College hosted a HIV testing event for students April 10 during STD Awareness Month.

There are some top health rankings that Georgia would be better off without: third in the nation for syphilis rates, sixth for gonorrhea rates and seventh for rates of chlamydia.

 

More than 52,000 Georgians were infected with at least one of these sexually transmitted diseases (STD) in 2010 and more than 18,500 were living with HIV, conditions that can put health and life at risk.

 

April is STD Awareness Month and the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) urges everyone to learn more about these diseases, protect themselves and get tested.

 

Young people are especially at risk. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of all new STD infections occur in people ages 15 to 24. The agency noted that stigma, incorrect or inconsistent condom use, limited access to health care and a combination of other factors lead to the relatively high rates of infection for this age group.

 

District 4 Public Health workers mobilized to spread the word among this population and get more in the area tested for STDs. They worked with Gordon State College in Barnesville to host a HIV testing event on campus on April 10. Nurses and epidemiologists were on hand to brief students on the HIV testing process, administer tests, give post-test counseling and answer any questions. More than 120 students visited the campus auditorium to get tested.

 

Amessia Chapman, lead epidemiologist for District 4 Public Health, said the event was a great success and addressed a major health education need for the students.

 

"I am always concerned with the lack of awareness the community has regarding HIV/STI prevention," she said. "I was amazed at the amount of participation I received from the students at Gordon State College and could definitely sense their need for more understanding."

 

Chapman said she hopes to schedule more screening events at Gordon State in the near future, including opportunities to test students for other STDs.

 

"I thought the HIV/AIDS testing was a great event and was very informative. I'm glad everyone from Gordon State College came out and supported the program. I would just like to say thank you to District 4 Public Health!" said Gordon State student Larry Jones.

 

Most STDs are completely preventable, highly treatable and many are curable. But many of the diseases have few to no symptoms and often, people who can spread the diseases to others are unaware they are infected. That's what makes regular testing for STDs so critical.

 

DPH has hosted events throughout April to raise awareness of STDs and offer testing, and the events will continue on the following dates:

• April 24 at the Simpson Street Church of Christ in Fulton County
• April 25 at Lakewood Christian Manor in Atlanta
• April 26 at Clifton Springs Health Center in DeKalb County 

To learn more about STDs and how to prevent them, visit the CDC's website.