Program description – The STD program provides education, testing, counseling and treatment through three weekly STD clinics in Roanoke City . The STD program also offers partner notification, community and street outreach, and educational programs to groups at risk.
Goals – By ongoing efforts of the STD team, the goal is to reduce morbidity of STD diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia , and HIV.
Target Population – Teens ages 13 to 19, young adults ages 20 to 25, and men who have sex with men.
In 2003, the overall number of patient visits in the STD clinic was 1,708. This statistic represents the greatest number of patients seen since 1992. With 370 reported positive gonorrhea cases, Roanoke ranks sixth in the state of Virginia for gonorrhea cases. With 550 reported positive chlamydia cases, Roanoke ranks eighty in the state of Virginia in chlamydia with reported positive cases. Rates continue to be high because females frequently have are no symptoms.
The number of early syphilis cases remains low at this time in the Roanoke Valley . However, it continues to be essential that high-risk individuals and groups be tested for this serious infection to prevent further spread of the disease. This intervention has been and continues to be an important part of the STD team’s focus.
Currently an important objective at the STD program is to improve reporting by local clinicians. We plan to address this objective by in-servicing local medical practices, reviewing completion of mandatory reporting forms and working in partnership with local clinicians to improve reporting of STDs. We are proud to continue our community partnerships with Kuumba , Teen Health clinics, Planned Parenthood, Roanoke City and County Jails , Bradley Free Clinic and local hospitals as well as their satellite clinics.
Trends – The number of younger patients continues to increase, the patients continue to have more sex partners, and people with multiple drug use who exchange sex for drugs. Roanoke City continues to see high numbers of GC fueled by the selling of sex for drugs.
Barriers to Care – transportation, stigma and fear, lack of knowledge of resources and inconvenient location for some clients.
At the present time in Roanoke City , three clinics are held each week. No appointment is needed. Anyone can come to a clinic regardless of where they live. Testing is free and some medicines are free or can be purchased at a reduced cost. STD services are also available valley wide at the other area health departments. Intervention in the spread of sexually transmitted diseases continues to be a challenge for those dedicated to this work.