With STIs Resurfacing Post Pandemic – Its Time To Focus On Screening

As Americans are gradually freeing up from the pandemic, medical professionals are sounding a dire warning. This involves a different type of surge - sexually transmitted diseases.

" We are seeing an exponential rise in partying and get togethers', says a doctor at an STD testing Alexandria clinic. " Unfortunately, this trend is likely to push sexually transmitted infections (STI) rates higher.

Already many Americans have started throwing off their masks and are well into partying, drinking and not to mention sex.

People are excited to be pandemic shackle free and want to feel good. This of course is natural, but abundant precautions and safe sex practices must not be thrown out of window.

Truly, the explosion of STDs had started even before the pandemic began. The rise was phenomenal. With more than 2.5 million infections reported in 2019, the cases of chlamydia ( according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have spiked by 15 percent since 2015.

Unfortunately, even after the STD testing Washington DC clinics opened, people are showing reluctance to visit doctors for treatment.

" We are still not seeing the volume of testing that was there in 2019", says an STD testing Alexandria doctor.

In the early months of 2020, the number of people diagnosed with STIs, chiefly gonorrhea and syphilis declined. This was as expected because these were times of extreme isolation. Subsequently the infection rates surged. Health professionals say the increases are stunning.

It must be noted that syphilis was nearly eradicated in the United States around 2000, and gonorrhea rates were at its historic lows. It is no exaggeration to say that the present surge in STI cases is worrying.

• • Sexually transmitted diseases can irrevocably harm the reproductive system.
  • Syphilis can cause sores and rashes, and if not treated can cause irreversible damage to brain, heart and other organs.
  • Gonorrhoea causes distressing pelvic inflammatory disease in women.

The ease with which STDs spreads undetected make it vital that people with risky behaviors must get screened regularly. For all you know, the pandemic could have made STI's worse in the United States. Reason - people had stopped getting tested and treated.

Several STD clinics either closed or worked for fewer hours. Perhaps the most relevant explanation for this situation is lawmakers reallocated funds to Covid-19 control or other problems deemed more serious.

Reducing the burden of STIs is a challenging task, requiring more outreach. The section of the populace that suffer disproportionately high rates of STIs need to be focused upon.

No doubt the pandemic interrupted numerous health services. But it also provided solutions. Programs surfaced that mail out free H.I.V. self-test kits targeting gay and bisexual men. And the good news is you can visit urgent care centers where you will be seen in less than 30 minutes - and no appointment is needed.

For STD testing, Alexandria has urgent care clinics where you can get hassle free confidential testing. The tests will be rapid, anonymous with discreet billing.

No need to fret that your medical information will be available to others. Urgent Care clinics abide by all federal laws including HIPAA ( the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).