SAN ANTONIO – The rising sexually transmitted disease rates in San Antonio has Metro Health continuing outreach and research.
San Antonio’s STD rates have surpassed state averages. From 2014 to 2015, HIV increased 8 percent, chlamydia increased by 15 percent, and gonorrhea increased by 22 percent.
"What we don't know is, is that because we're doing a better job of targeting our testing and actually getting the word out to people that they need to get these tests, or is it because we're seeing an increase overall in the prevalence of the diseases?" said Metro Health director Dr. Colleen Bridger.
Bridger believes it's a little of both, but will be doing more research to find out.
RELATED: Latest report on STD rates in San Antonio
"What we do know is there's a connection between the number of sexual partners you have and your risk for STDs," she said.
The report's release aligned with Fiesta's kickoff, and that was not a coincidence.
"Fiesta is a fun party for folks and a lot of times people maybe lose some of their inhibitions and maybe consume more alcohol than usual, so we do see a spike in STDs during Fiesta," Bridger said.
Metro Health turned awareness into a Fiesta celebration with games, activities and lots of free giveaways.
"We want to make sure people are being really thoughtful before they engage in sexual activities. The first thing they can do is think if this really makes sense to do right now. If they do decide that's part of their Fiesta celebration, then they need to make sure to use condoms every time and use them correctly," Dr. Bridger said.
Factors affecting STD rates include risky sexual behaviors, such as unprotected anonymous sex, and the use of Internet and mobile apps to find anonymous sex.
Bridger said anyone with more than one sexual partner should be getting tested for STDs both annually and also when they have symptoms.
She also was excited to spread the word Wednesday about a new HIV prevention program coming to San Antonio.
"We're getting ready to roll it out here in San Antonio, which is called PrEP. That's a pre-exposure HIV treatment. So somebody who does not have HIV but is engaging in behaviors that put them at higher risk for acquiring HIV can take a medicine that can significantly lower their risk of infection," she said.
The medication has been an option for people for a while, but has been extremely expensive. It has just become affordable for public entities to be able to offer it the way San Antonio soon will.
READ MORE: Metro Health brings free sexual health services to high-risk areas of SA
Throughout the past five years, Metro Health has put an emphasis on syphilis screening and intervention. They have case-managed pregnant women who came to the STD clinic and made rounds throughout areas of town with high incidence of disease, offering on-site care.
Statewide, screening pregnant women for syphilis during their third trimester became mandatory when a law took effect in October 2015. Before that, testing was only mandatory in the first trimester and at delivery.
For more information on testing and care offered, click here to visit Metro Health's website.
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