CAMP Rehoboth Now Offers Additional STI Testing Services
Sexually transmitted Infections (STIs) pose a serious public health threat to Delawareans. “It’s tragic that so many men and women continue to be affected by STIs. Most STIs are curable or treatable, and they are all preventable,” said Salvatore Seeley, Program Director of CAMP Rehoboth’s health and wellness programs. After working with the Department of Public Health, CAMP Rehoboth will start offering free STI testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia. The test is urine based, and is just as accurate as the traditional blood test.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur every year in the United States and almost half of these are among young people ages 15-24.
Getting tested for sexually transmitted infections is the best way to be sure you don’t have one. Even though you may be asymptomatic (have no symptoms), it is still possible that you can have an STI if you were exposed. Sometimes an STI may be present in the body for a considerable period of time without symptoms. So the best way to know for sure is to get tested.
Using condoms will protect you from many of these and many of them are easily cured or can be prevented by vaccinations. However, the transmission of some STIs is very difficult to prevent even if you have safer sex, so sexually active gay men should go for a check-up about every six months to test for these infections. You may have an STI without knowing it, so sexual health check-ups are an important part of staying healthy.
Most of the infections you need to be aware of are either viral or bacterial. Most bacterial infections, such as gonorrhea can be treated with antibiotics, and should clear up quickly. Viral infections are typically more difficult to treat, and some (like HIV and herpes) cannot be cured. All treatments for STIs, including antibiotics, work with your body’s immune system to fight off infection. If your immune system is weakened, this process will be more difficult, and may take longer or not work at all.
Being infected with one STI can make others easier to catch. If you are HIV positive, other STIs can make it more likely that you’ll pass on HIV if you have anal sex without condoms.
Some people like to be screened for certain STIs annually, or each time they have a new sexual partner. Others may learn from a partner that they may have been exposed. In these cases, a health care provider can help suggest the most appropriate tests and can give you an idea of the cost of asymptomatic screening.
In addition to STI testing, CAMP Rehoboth offers free HIV testing and hepatitis vaccinations. STI and HIV testing is available by appointment or walk-in Thursday evenings from 3-6 p.m. To learn more information about testing or to schedule an appointment, please call Salvatore Seeley at 302-227-5620. CAMP Rehoboth is located at 37 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach.
CAMPsafe, an HIV/AIDS program of CAMP Rehoboth, is funded through a contract with the Delaware Division of Public Health. E-mail salvatoreseeley@aol.com. Confidential HIV and STI testing is available at CAMP Rehoboth. Call Sal at 302-227-5620 to schedule an appointment.