September 26, 2011 By News One Staff
Your Black World reports
Gonorrhea and Chlamydia outbreaks have run rampant among the black female community in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times reports that in 2009, LA county ranked number one in the country for Chlamydia cases and second for Gonorrhea.
There is a group of pastors and preacher’s wives working to correct this problem. They are encouraging an at-home testing campaign to convince people to find out their status. “Nobody wants to talk about it,” said Debra Williams, the wife of a pastor who preaches at McCoy Memorial Baptist Church. "We need to change that.”
Public health officials are giving access to free tests and other information that will help people find out what’s going on with their bodies. If a woman takes the test, she can get her test results through a website or toll-free number. They also have workers who can give the tests out directly after meeting women who request them.
“This is not only STD prevention,” he said. “It's pregnancy prevention. It's HIV prevention,” said Peter Kerndt, the director of the county’s STD program.
"This is probably the first time you have pastors and first ladies coming forward to address an issue that heretofore has been considered taboo," he said.
The CDC recommends yearly screening for venereal diseases for both men and women who are sexually-active. If left untreated, Gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease or arthritis. Chlamydia can destroy a woman’s ability to reproduce and often shows no symptoms. It can be passed through vaginal, anal or oral sex.
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