No-cost STD screening for South Carolinians

To promote public health and recognize April 11-17 as National STD Awareness Week, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) clinics are participating in a day of no-cost sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening for South Carolinians.

From 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, April 15, residents can visit their local DHEC health department to be tested for hepatitis C, HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis at no cost. Appointments are encouraged and may be scheduled by calling 1-855-472-3432..”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of STD cases nationally has spiked since 2014, with more than two million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis reported in 2018 alone. This upward trend in STD numbers leads to an increase in other challenges as well, including the number of babies born with syphilis and risks of infertility.

For the past several years, national syphilis rates increased among both males and females, in every region, and among every race/ethnicity. Here in South Carolina, infectious, early, and total syphilis cases have continued to rise year after year in all populations and most concerning women, pregnant women, and newborns. The Division of STD/HIV and Viral Hepatitis is committed to increasing awareness, screening and education in affected populations.

For more information about STDs and sites that will provide no-cost testing, call DHEC’s STD/HIV Hotline at 1-800-322-2437 or visit www.scdhec.gov/stdhiv.