The number of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has dramatically increased in the United States in the past five years. Pennsylvania’s rate has exceeded the national averages in the past two years. In fact, for the fifth year in a row, common reportable STDs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, and primary/secondary syphilis, have reported a sharp spike, according to a recent analysis from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s STDs surveillance report 2019. Reportedly, the number of STDs in Pennsylvania (PA) climbed at a rate of 4.9% in 2019 compared to 2018 numbers.
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The Health Secretary of Pennsylvania, Alison Beam, recently revealed that the only way to decrease the risk of contracting an STD is to get tested regularly.
“Sexually transmitted diseases are serious diseases that impact many Pennsylvanians each year. It is essential that all residents are aware of the risks and dangers associated with STDs,” Beam noted.
It is important to note that most STDs can be easily diagnosed and treated if tested at the right time. If diagnosed late, the STD can cause several additional health issues that could be life-threatening.
“Which is why we encourage all residents to talk to their doctor about getting tested so we can further prevent diseases and keep our residents healthy,” Secretary Beam said.
In PA, cases of congenital syphilis have increased lately, which is a concerning issue. A staggering 185% increase was noted on a national level between 2014 and 2018, whereas, in PA, seven cases of congenital syphilis were reported in 2018 and five cases in 2019. The number of cases in PA is the highest in congenital syphilis in the past 25 years. That’s why pregnant women must get tested at their first and third trimester prenatal visits.
235 Northland Ctr, State College, State College, Pennsylvania 16803
45.48 mile
Tel: 8143257002
Today's best offer is: $10 off any order. Discount will be applied automatically.
Free and confidential sexually transmitted disease services are provided through Reproductive Health Services in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Health through the STD clinic.
471 Hepburn St, Ste 202, Williamsport, Pennsylvania 17701
7.46 mile
Tel: (570) 567-5400
Appointment Required: Yes
1000 Commerce Park Dr, Ste 109, Williamsport, Pennsylvania 17701
7.46 mile
Tel: (570) 327-3440
Tel: (570) 327-3547
Appointment Required: Yes
HIV and STD Testing services.
500 W 3rd St, Williamsport, Pennsylvania 17701
9.88 mile
Tel: (570) 322-8448
Tel: (570) 322-8648
Appointment Required: Yes
Must call for an appointment.
1610 Industrial Blvd, Ste 100, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 17837
22.98 mile
Tel: (570) 523-1124
Tel: (570) 523-1129
Appointment Required: Yes
Use our confidential STD symptom checker to get an idea of what STDs/STIs your symptoms align with and what STD tests are recommended to you.
Start Symptom CheckerWhich Method of STD Testing is Suitable for Me?
Every sexually active individual must protect their sexual health. Regular STD testing is the only way to care for your sexual health. However, sometimes it becomes confusing to select the right testing method as there are so many options available. For your convenience, we have gathered information about all available STD testing methods in Pennsylvania. Check them out to find out which option is suitable for you.
| Testing Method | Waiting Times | Speed of Results | Positive Consultation |
|---|---|---|---|
Private Testing (Walk-In Clinic) | 10-20 Minutes with No Wait | 24-72 Hours | Free With Positive Result |
At-Home STD Testing | No Wait | 5-11 Days | Free With Positive Result |
Doctor Visit with Insurance | Call for Appointment | 7-10 Days | Co-Pay Required |
Doctor Visit without Insurance | Call for Appointment | 7-10 Days | Out-of-Pocket Cost Required |
Public Clinic | Limited Hours and Long Lines | 7-14 Days | No |
Learn more in our ultimate guide to STD testing.
Depending on the test being performed and the testing physician's targeted diseases, various types of samples can be requested from you. In some instances, a minuscule blood sample of a few milliliters will be collected, some might ask for a urine sample, and others may opt for a genital swab. Again, the sample being collected will depend on the test being conducted and the outcome that is being targeted for this particular procedure.
Yes. Certain companies offer at-home testing kits wherein you are the one that will collect the specimens necessary for the test at the comfort of your own home. Sure, it might sometimes be subject to errors due to the potential contamination of the sample from collection to transportation, but it does offer a great deal of privacy and convenience for patients who would prefer to have their identities hidden in fear that their community will judge them.
Similar to what was previously mentioned, herpes infections are known for their recurring tendencies – causing outbreaks now and then and thus causing an intermittent spike in the patient’s viral load for specific instances. In addition to that, other STDs also take time to proliferate and produce a sufficient viral load that could warrant a positive and, more importantly, accurate diagnosis and detection from the tests being administered. As such, detecting an STD a few days following exposure is often complex and unpredictable – leading physicians to follow a certain timeframe instead for testing STDs instead of blindly testing immediately following exposure. Physical exams, however, may supplement inaccurate laboratory diagnoses, especially in cases where the test is prone to false results.
It can be, but it does not necessarily have to be. What many people need to understand is that laboratory tests would most often than not be relatively pricey due to the technology that is being utilized behind these diagnostic techniques. However, opting for specific laboratories that offer more convenient testing procedures and discounted prices for diagnostic tests would help ensure that the price will not be much of an issue in providing you with the conclusive diagnosis of your condition. It might take some independent scanning to find the right testing center for you in the most acceptable price range, but it is not as impossible as many people make it out to be.
It would vary depending on the condition that is being tested. STDs behave differently due to the varying pathogenicity of each STD’s causative organism. In some instances, you can get accurately tested as early as two weeks following exposure, while some are intermittently inaccurate due to its recurrence (much like in the case of herpes infections). To avoid this, be sure to discuss the intricacies of the test with your physician to understand whether a particular test could provide you with a conclusive diagnosis or if it still needs another confirmatory test to establish its premise.
Test Advisor
Get informed about the different STD testing options and the prices for each test.
Pennsylvania STD Data
Throughout PA’s southwestern region, the STDs scenario has been far more dramatic than elsewhere. In 2017, around 11% increase in STDs was noted in Allegheny and six contagious counties. Furthermore, between 2017 and 2018, Westmoreland County recorded the lowest increase in STDs at 2.9%, and Washington County had the highest percentage of spike with over 35%.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health revealed in its annual STDs surveillance report that chlamydia was the most reported STD in the state, and gonorrhea was the second most common STD. Overall, the state reported 59,340 chlamydia cases, 15,887 Gonorrhea cases, and 797 primary/secondary syphilis cases. Armstrong County saw a 55% decline in gonorrhea and an 11% decline in chlamydia cases. On the other hand, Fayette reported a whopping 46% increment in gonorrhea and a 5% rise in chlamydia cases.
In PA, early syphilis is at its highest rate in more than two decades. Between 2016 and 2019, early syphilis cases in women of child-bearing age (15-44 years) rose by 114%. In 2015 approximately 78 cases were reported in PA, and in 2019, the number of cases rose to 167.
According to the data shared by the PA Department of Health Bureau of Epidemiology, in 2018, the rate of new HIV diagnoses in the state’s young adults was approximately 21/100,000 people. The diagnoses rate was higher among young adults as they accounted for 13% of the overall cases. And 53% of these new diagnoses among young adults were African Americans in 2018. Most of the people diagnosed with HIV were from large population centers like Allegheny and Philadelphia counties.
In 2017, the rate of new HIV diagnoses was 8.4/100,000 people. Philadelphia County reported the highest number of cases with 31/100,000 people, and one out of 48 rural counties reported a higher number of HIV cases. On the contrary, 7 out of the 19 urban counties reported a higher number of cases in PA.
Among the 34,144 people living with the disease in PA and over 1,000 new diagnoses during 2018, the cumulative death rate among infected individuals was 42%. This means there were 562 HIV-associated deaths among Pennsylvanians at a rate of 5.0/100,000 people, according to the statistics shared by AIDSVu.
PA residents below thirty years of age accounted for around 44% of all reported syphilis cases in 2019, 68% of all gonorrhea cases, and 85% of all chlamydia diagnoses.
The state’s STD surveillance data revealed that in 2018, the state’s chlamydia rates among women were comparatively higher than the national average, reporting over 580 cases/100,000 women in PA compared to over 692 cases/100,000 women in the USA. The same report further noted that sexually transmitted infections are the leading risk factors for adverse perinatal outcomes like miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, congenital disabilities, preterm delivery, newborn illnesses, and death. Conversely, the rate of gonorrhea among Pennsylvanian females was lower than the national average, with 92.6 cases and 145.8 cases per 100,000 women, respectively.
In 2014, the chlamydia-related morbidity rate was reportedly higher among African Americans with 1,178 cases/100,000 people. This rate was around 11 times higher than white Pennsylvanians, who reported 105.2 cases/100,000 people.
On the other hand, the gonorrhea rate among African American males aged 15-44 was 21 times higher with 960.6 cases/100,000 people compared to white males from the same age group, who reported 45.4 cases/100,000 people. Gonorrhea rate among African American females in PA aged 15-44 was 15 times higher with 883.8 cases/100,000 people than white females from the same age group as they accounted for 58.9 cases/100,000 people.
The syphilis rate was 11 times higher among African American males with 37.8 cases/100,000 people than whites with 3.2 cases/100,000 people. Hispanics in PA reported 425.1 cases of chlamydia in 2014 against 105.2 cases/100,000 cases in whites. This indicates chlamydia rates among Hispanics were more than four times higher than whites. Similarly, the gonorrhea rate among Hispanic males aged 15-44 was four times higher than white males, and Hispanic females had over three times higher rates than white females aged 15-44. A similar situation was reported in syphilis as Hispanic males reported 9.8 cases/100,000 people, an average three times higher than the rate reported among white males, 3.2 cases/100,000 people.
Men having sex with men remains the predominant HIV transmission mode in PA, according to the state’s HIV surveillance data 2018, as it accounted for 65% of all new diagnoses. The second leading risk factor was heterosexual contact, whereas the perinatally acquired infection rate reported a sharp decline and reached zero in 2017-2018.
In 2016, 20 to 29 years old experienced inclines in new HIV diagnoses rates while other population groups reported a decline. Most persons diagnosed with HIV during 2018 were between ages 20 and 49. The Department of Health noted that within the past five years, 20-29-year-old people accounted for the highest proportion of new diagnoses, with 360 new cases out of 966 cases. Young adults reportedly accounted for 426 new cases in 2016. A majority of the cases among young adults were reported in urbanized southeastern counties.
In PA, the extensive disparity is observed in terms of HIV distribution among races and ethnicities. In 2018, less than 1,000 new diagnoses were reported in the state among the black population, while black males were three times more susceptible to contracting the virus than black females. It is worth noting that Blacks and Hispanics makeup 11% and 6.6% of the PA population but account for 47% and 18% of all new HIV diagnoses. Black males accounted for 51.6 cases/100,000 people, and females reported 15.9 cases/100,000 people. Hispanics reported 18.6 cases/100,000 people against 3.0/100,000 people for white population.
In 2018, the rate of new HIV diagnoses in PA was 7.5 cases per 100,000 people, but the rates for males were relatively higher than females, with 7.5 and 3.2 cases per 100,000 population, respectively. Moreover, black Americans accounted for 49% of people living with HIV at the end of 2018.
By race, Blacks had a higher death rate than Hispanics and whites with 14.4 per 100,000 population against 1.1/100,000 for whites and 4.5/100,000 population for Hispanics. Hence, it can be stated that the death rates among Black Pennsylvanians were 14 times higher than whites. Black males reported a higher rate of deaths by HIV compared to black females with 21.8 deaths/100,000 males and 7.5/100,000 people, respectively. The reasons behind these disparities are yet unknown, but it could be due to stigma, lack of access to care, systematic racism, and other social factors.
Pennsylvania Department of Health STD program is one of the most significant state initiatives. The program’s mission is to prevent/intervene in the transmission of STDs. The program has several core functions, including managing STD service delivery, training and education, surveillance, and interactive sessions with professional health care providers and community organizations. The STD program employs a professional and client-centric approach to people seeking STD diagnosis or treatment. Part of its core functions is partnering with local health care providers and offering confidential and free-of-charge STD testing facilities through dedicated STD clinics across the state.
In PA, CDC funds the state and local health departments to implement science-based prevention and control services to reduce STDs. This funding focuses on devising scalable, high-impact, sustainable, and cost-effective prevention methods. Moreover, PA is part of a more comprehensive network of STD programs responsible for collecting additional information to quickly and aptly determine STD trends and obtain funding to focus on communities through leveraging partnerships and support STD prevention.
In Pennsylvania, those aware of their STD status and are infected with an STD or HIV/AIDS can be charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, or even attempted murder if they engage in sexual activity, spit, or bite on people. However, it is worth noting that, unlike most US states, PA doesn’t have a specific law that criminalizes STDs transmission, and prosecutors instead use the state’s general criminal laws to persecute people who intentionally expose others to the virus.
The HIV Planning Group (HPG) contributes to HIV care/prevention planning in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The HPG has developed a 5-year timeline for the Stakeholder Process that includes an HPG-wide annual review and program evaluation. Disease Intervention Specialists are contacted via the state pharmaceutical programs and state HIV programs to participate in the HIV preventive measures planning process. The HPG has added STI and Drug and Alcohol programs providers to develop effective strategies to prevent the conversion of sexually transmitted diseases into HIV and AIDS. Additionally, the group reviews the funding applications from the PA Department of Health sent to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
This Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan (IHPCP) is a Pennsylvania state jurisdictional group covering the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia EMA. Another effective initiative is the AIDS Resource program. It is a non-profit organization offering HIV prevention programs, HIV/STI testing, and aid to people living with HIV or AIDS. This community-based organization was founded in 1988 in Lycoming County. The program began with the sole mission of preventing further infection via outreach and educational programs, particularly reaching out to culturally sensitive people.
StopHIV is another program
designed to fight HIV in PA with the guidance of the state Department of
Health. The website stopHIV.com serves as a portal for government, community
stakeholders, and academic entities to share HIV prevention and care strategies
and essential information and resources. The program was created by the HIV
Prevention and Care Project (HPCP) and officially founded at the University of
Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health to assist the Pennsylvania
Department of Health in meeting its HIV prevention objectives.
How Does it Work?
Most people experience feelings of hesitation when going to get tested for STD, despite knowing they might have contracted one. EasySTD was created to change that.
Visit your nearest lab or clinic, order your home testing kit online, and follow the given instructions from an STD testing provider.
After ordering your STD test, visit the testing center to get tested or take a self sample including urine, cotton swab, or finger prick with the home testing kit and mail it back.
Receive the lab-certified results of your STD test from your test provider via mail or phone within 2 to 3 days. If the test comes positive, consult your doctor immediately.
Help stop the spread of STDs by knowing your status. Get tested today!
