STD Testing in American High Schools
Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have shown an 88% increase in the number of cases of syphilis in America from 2001 to 2007
A pilot program was conducted last year at eight high schools in Washington D.C. in order to obtain data into the number of students with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The program found an alarming number of students testing positive for STDs, with 13 per cent of about 3,000 students testing positive. The prevailing STDs in the study were gonorrhea and chlamydia. School officials therefore are aiming to tackle this problem by offering tests for STDs for all high school students this coming school year.
With a population of about 12,000 students within the Washington D.C. district, it is hoped that offering testing can target students who are sexually active; and increase awareness regarding the risks of STDs and unprotected sex. AIDS activists have particularly warmed to the idea of this new testing scheme, as it will place importance upon the AIDS epidemic in the US and arrest the growing rate, which currently is the highest in the nation.
STDs are a major public health concern globally, and particularly problematic in young adolescents in the USA and UK, with the number of cases increasing significantly in the last decade. Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have shown an 88% increase in the number of cases of syphilis in America from 2001 to 2007. The number of people with chlamydia has increased from 537,904 in 1997 to 1,108,374 in 2007; a shocking increase which is the reason for STDs needing to be addressed in high schools.
The gravity of STDs should be highlighted, as they are not all curable and may lead to long-term complications including cancers or infertility if left untreated. The risk of contracting HIV during unprotected sex is especially important, as if left unmanaged leads to AIDS and its involved opportunistic diseases. With the age of onset of HIV infection declining in America, the expansion of the pilot program will allow for the correct reinforcement of testing to be undertaken in these priority age groups. Education also plays a vital role in raising awareness regarding STDs.
The program which took place last year included a 45 minute lecture, followed by a question and answer period, before students were led into stalls and given a urine collection cup to take urine samples, which was optional. All students returned their collection cups in paper bags, regardless of whether they had taken urine samples, thus retaining anonymity. Results were issued a week later, with students calling in to find out the results. This method of testing and delivering results is particularly effective or students who ordinarily wouldn’t get tested, and may indeed remove their worry or the social stigma attached to testing for STDs, despite the large prevalence of underage sex.
Following on from the program set in Washington, school systems from other districts in America, including New York, Chicago and New Orleans are preparing to start their own pilot programs in a bid to encourage regular STD checks in young adolescents. This will be especially important when testing for STDs such as chlamidya, which is mainly asymptomatic, with other symptoms including pelvic pain and an inflamed pelvis.
The implementation of this program therefore is undeniably highly effective in targeting teens with STDs and early detection of conditions such as chlamidya and HIV will be crucial in combating these diseases.