Chicago accounts for more than 70% of HIV cases in Illinois
Chicago, Illinois is home to nearly 7,000,000 residents and offers much to be desired for tourists and residents alike. With its variety of art culture, history, restaurants and museums, it offers many attractions and activities. Chicago is home to more than 100 neighborhoods within roughly 77 communities. Among these Chicago neighborhoods are more than just its residents but what the residents are passing back and forth, Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
This news should not come as a shock to most Chicago residents as Illinois ranks in the top 10 states to boast the highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases. These include but not limited to gonorrhea, Chlamydia, syphilis and HIV/AIDS. When it comes to HIV/AIDS, Illinois comes in at the number 8 state with highest diagnosed cases. Accounting for a little more than 70% of those cases is none other than Chicago.
A lot of blame lies within sexual education. In a recent study, the average age of a woman when she becomes sexually active in the Chicago area was 16. And of course, the age is younger for boys. So many young people are having sexual relations earlier and earlier that sexual education is schools needs to happen much earlier than we would like to admit. In addition, access to sexual information and contraception should be widely known available to teens and adults alike. The lack of education among adults in particular neighborhoods in Chicago also attributes to the increasing factors of catching and spreading sexually transmitted diseases.
For many of diagnosed, there is a cure. But so few are educated about what symptoms to look for and how to get treated, they simply do not get tested.
Many people are just simply too embarrassed to inquire and get regular screenings for STD’s. Thus, they contribute to the transmission of these diseases among others and the vicious cycle is never ending. It is important to get tested and treated not only for your short term and long term health of yourself but for others as well. There are ways to get tested privately. Simply purchase your test online and deliver your order number to the nearest lab without ever having to give your name.
[alert-announce] Here are a few places in the Chicago, IL area where testing for sexually transmitted diseases is available.[/alert-announce]
Chicago Free STD Testing Locations
Planned Parenthood locations
- Rogers Park Health Center
6353 North Broadway
(877) 200-7745
- Wicker Park Health Center
1152 N Milwaukee Ave
(877) 200-7745
- Loop Health Center
18 S Michigan Ave
(877) 200-7745
- Englewood Health Center
6059 S Ashland Avenue
(877) 200-7745
**For hours and more locations, please visit plannedparenthood.org.
Howard Brown Health Center
4025 N Sheridan Rd
(773) 388-1600
Roseland Neighborhood Health Center
200 E 115th St
(312) 747-9500
TPAN
5050 N Broadway St #300
(773) 989-9400
