The Berrien County Health Department is reminding everyone of the importance of being tested regularly for sexually transmitted infections during this Sexual Health Awareness Month.
BCHD Clinical and Community Services Supervisor Dionne Rigozzi tells us those who are sexually active should be tested every three months, and the department is seeing more patients listen.
“We do our best during our appointments to encourage that they come back for routine testing and that actually has gone up,” Rigozzi said. “According to our data internally, we are seeing a lot of retesting.”
Rigozzi says the health department offers testing and treatment for STIs, counselling, and access to reproductive services. She thinks more patients are becoming comfortable with routine testing because they find non-judgmental nurses who they can speak to honestly. Still, cases of STIs continue to rise in the county overall.
Rigozzi says they see a bit of everything.
“Chlamydia seems to be on the rise a bit. Syphilis has come down, which is a good thing. We’re receiving data on that.”
The health department also takes part in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Taking Pride in Prevention program, which provides abstinence and contraception education to young people between 12 and 19. The goal is to reduce rates of teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and other STIs in the state.
Rigozzi says anyone interested in getting tested should contact the Berrien County Health Department to make an appointment, noting you can get results from chlamydia and gonorrhea tests in about a half hour.
You can learn about the Berrien County Health Department’s Sexual Health Clinic right here.
