Health Dept. urges Wyomingites to get tested for STDs

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Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day, and the Wyoming Department of Health is urging sexually active Wyomingites to get tested for STDs.

Epidemiologist Courtney Smith says it’s easier to contract HIV if you already have another STD.

“If people are already infected with an STD, it can cause things such as a chancre or a sore that can kind of cause a pathway for HIV to transmit through,” Smith said.

Smith says that anyone who is sexually active should get tested annually, and adds that they should also get tested any time they have a new partner.

“If you know that you have an STD, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis, you should get treated … and you should also recommend your partner in for testing and treatment so you don’t get re-infected,” she said.

Vouchers for free testing are available online.