The Health Department said STI numbers are on the rise in Lubbock. If you’re sexually active, officials say you should get tested.
“We are still trending kind of the wrong direction: still trending up. Fortunately, we’ve seen some of the HIV cases level off a little bit. They’re still a little higher obviously than we want them to be,” said Madeline Geeslin, health education facilitator of the City of Lubbock Health Department.
Syphilis cases have doubled in the last five years. There were 38 cases in 2014, 58 cases in 2015, and 113 cases in 2016.
“We know that Syphilis and HIV are often co-infections, so having one can increase your risk for the other,” said Geeslin.
Lubbock is the 11th most populous city in Texas. The city also ranks No. 9 in Texas for the number of Chlamydia cases and No. 7 for Syphilis and Gonorrhea cases.
“We do see our young adults, but we also do see people in their 50s and 60s,” said Geeslin.
If you have an STI and don’t know about it, you could be at risk for possible complications such as infertility or even reproductive cancers.
“A lot of people are scared to get tested or reluctant to do it, because there is some stigma associated with it. We really encourage testing as a normal part of being healthy,” said Geeslin.
The Health Department offers $20 tests and highly encourage you to call and make an appointment. You can contact them at 806-775-2933.
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