Free STD Testing Near You in Scottsdale, AZ

Scottsdale and Maricopa County is home to over 4 million residents, with over 236,000 residents in the Scottsdale city area proper.² With different age groups, demographic populations and other community groups at risk for various sexually transmitted diseases, it’s important to know the facts, risks, testing and treatment options associated with these communicable conditions. For example, anyone sexually active who has never been tested before, anyone who has had unprotected sex, anyone who has been with multiple partners in the last year, anyone in a relationship with an STD-positive partner or who has been exposed to sexually transmitted disease should be tested as soon as possible.

According to the CDC, all STDs can be treated and many can be cured, for example, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. However, an STD left undiagnosed and untreated can cause far more severe medical issues, including infertility. If you’re feeling stressed, embarrassed or even ashamed of getting tested for STDs in Scottsdale, it doesn’t need to be that way. Our dedicated team of Care Advisors is available 7 days a week from 6 am to 10 pm to answer any questions you have and to help guide you each step of the way. A test result can give you the sigh of relief you need, so you can get back to enjoying city life with fun activities like a day at Pinnacle Peak Park.

According to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, one person is diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease in the county area every 20.8 minutes.⁴ The most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in Scottsdale and the greater Maricopa County reaches is chlamydia, which is also the most reported STD in the state and all across the country. In Maricopa County, the number of new infections reported in 2014 was 19,788 compared to 19,152 in 2013, a 3.2% increase. Another sexually transmitted disease with numbers on the rise in this part of the country is gonorrhea, with 4,724 infections in reported in 2013 compared to 5,514 in 2014. The total increase of gonorrhea in Maricopa county from 2011 to 2014 was 14.3%.¹

One sexually transmitted disease currently presenting a problematic rise not just in Scottsdale and Maricopa County but all across the state of Arizona is syphilis, with a surge of infection rates between 2013 and 2014. In Maricopa County, 213 new infections were reported in 2013 compared to 409 the following year, revealing a 47.9% increase. According to reports from the Arizona Department of Health Services, the rate of new HIV infections from 2009 to 2013 in the Scottsdale and greater Maricopa County area averaged 11.5 new diagnoses per 100,000 residents.¹ Again, one of the simplest and most effective methods of lowering STD rates is to get tested and treated (if medically appropriate).

The state of Arizona, and by extension the Scottsdale Unified School District, does not mandate sexual education curriculum, however, it does mandate HIV/AIDS prevention education. This curriculum, as outlined by the state law, requires age-appropriate, medically accurate material that helps to clear up the common myths that cause the disease. However, according to the law, no school district is permitted to discuss homosexuality as a positive lifestyle choice or to, “Suggest that some methods of sex are safe methods of homosexual sex.” All curriculum is subject to review for updated medical accuracy and teacher training is available as well.⁵

With nearly 22.8% of all sexually transmitted diseases in the area reported by men who have sex with men (MSM),¹ there could be a gap in the education and understanding regarding this population as to the best way to protect themselves against the spread of sexually transmitted disease. Young people in general are at especially high risk for sexually transmitted disease, with the 15-24 year-old age group reporting nearly 10 million of the 20 million sexually transmitted diseases reported annually all across the United States.⁶ Comprehensive sexual education that includes the full range of contraception and prevention methods to avoid sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancy helps to lower the rate of infection of young people in Scottsdale and all around the U.S.

The demographic distribution of sexually transmitted diseases in Scottsdale and throughout Maricopa County sees certain risk groups at high risk for these commonly reported infections. For example, in this metropolitan statistical area and all across the state of Arizona, Native Americans/Alaskan Natives report the highest rates of infection. The state of Arizona is home to 21 American Indian tribes as recognized by the federal government. While urban counties like Maricopa and Pima report a considerable share of the state’s sexually transmitted infections, the highest rates of infection are most commonly reported in counties are most predominantly populated by Native Americans, like Navajo and Apache, which claim some of the highest rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea in the state.¹

Other trends observed around the country pertaining to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases are also present in Scottsdale and around Maricopa county. For example, men are far more likely than women to report syphilis, and conversely, women are far more likely than men to report chlamydia. In general, according to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, women are more susceptible in general to sexually transmitted disease, especially young women under the age of 25.⁴ Continued screening and a continued search for knowledge about the risk factors is essential for lowering the number and rate of STDs in Scottsdale, Maricopa County and the state of Arizona.

Spend your free time in Scottsdale basking in the beautiful glow of exceptional locales like Mount McDowell rather than feeling the stress of an unknown STD status. Getting started with STDtest.com is simple. To begin, simply answer a few questions online or by phone to receive a personal doctor’s recommendation of the tests you should take, customized to your history and symptoms. Next, you can choose a testing option. You can either choose the lab most convenient for you from a national network of thousands for a short visit (usually 30 minutes or less) to collect your test samples, no appointment required. If available in your area, we can bring the lab to you with In-Home Collection to collect your blood or urine sample, with trained Lab Collection Specialists available to come to your door within an hours’ notice.

For both options, test results are usually available in three business days or less. Our medical team is available for follow up to discuss your diagnosis, to answer any remaining questions or even to prescribe treatment, if medically appropriate and if allowed by state law. Get tested. It’s for your better health.

References:
1 Arizona Department of Health Services Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2014 Report
2 U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts – Scottsdale and Maricopa County, AZ
3 The Lowdown on How to Prevent STDs
4 Maricopa County STDS
5 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 15.716 – HIV Education Guidelines
6 Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Americans