Take home test kits that check for chlamydia and gonorrhea can both help lower STD rates and allow women to do so out of the hospital room and the comfort of their own home.
Los Angeles County wants to combat high STD rates by distributing home testing kits throughout. South Los Angeles, which has higher rates per year than both the county and nation, will have eight kiosks with the tests.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas recently announced the city's partnership with various First Ladies of the Faith, churches and organizations to educate young women and empower them to "take charge of their health and overall well-being."
Deniece Hunter, wife of Reverend Hunter from the First African Methodist Episcopal Church located in South LA, is one of the First Ladies who is taking the lead on public awareness and education. The people involved in the campaign come from various church groups, but Hunter says the cause breaks barriers that sometimes keep these churches separate.
"I was startled, I could not believe the number [of STDs] across the county, especially African Americans," Hunter said. "Any responsible person would see the need to do something."
Hunter says she feels there's a need for a clinical as well as a heart and soul approach, which is where public awareness and education come in.
Hunter says for South L.A., the need for this campaign is necessary.
"I think it means getting screened earlier," she said. "We are trying to focus on 14 and 24 and pushing them to the idea of getting the idea to wait until marriage."
The county launched the home test kit program "I Know" in 2009, which allows the online ordering of kits. With this expansion, people will also be able to get kits at high-tech kiosks and officials in charge of distribution. Users will be able to get the results of their tests via online or the phone.
According to a press release from Ridley-Thomas, the second supervisorial district has the highest STD levels in the county, and Los Angeles County has the highest rates of chlamydia and the second highest number of gonorrhea cases of any county in the nation.
Kiosks will be placed at selected venues in the Second District, including South Los Angeles, and digital tablets will be put in the hands of trained outreach workers at several locations.
So far, the "I Know" home testing program had 30,878 total visits on its website with 2,927 kits ordered. A total of 1,543 testable swabs were returned while 131 of those — 8.5 percent — were positive for chlamydia or gonorrhea.
The new effort will include an increase in community-based public health workers who will follow up on cases in order to make sure women and their partners are getting tested. A mobile van for outreach and distribution of condoms and partnerships with community-based agencies and faith based organizations is also planned.
"I also feel like the youth of our community they are bombarded with sexual messages," Hunter said. "We want to provide a counter message: its OK to choose different, its not cool to have sex before you're ready."
Hunter says the media package will include social networking, PSAs, and billboards. After the second year, school visits will be included.
Picture taken by Flickr user williamtillis http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamtillis/294224813/sizes/m/in/photostream/
