ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new study that came out this month shows that a few places in Florida have the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases in the whole country.
Three of the top 25 cities are in Florida, which is better than last year when four of the top 25 places were in the Sunshine State. Tampa is one of only a few places in Florida in the top 100.
- No. 16: Jacksonville
- No. 17: Miami
- No. 19: Fort Lauderdale
- No. 53: Orlando
- No. 59: Tampa
- No. 83: West Palm Beach
- No. 87: Daytona Beach
Both Miami and Jacksonville fell from No. 23 and No. 24 to No. 16 and No. 17 in the rankings.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are the most common new STDs that people tell them about.
Joy Winheim said, “I think a lot of people who come in here don’t see the link between what they do and their risk.” Winheim is the executive head of St. Pete and Tampa’s Empath Partners in Care (EPIC).
If talking about sexually transmitted diseases makes you feel bad, getting one is much worse.
“Depending on what it is, it could make women sterile, hurt their kidneys or livers, or cause all kinds of other health problems. I could talk about it all day,” Winheim said.
STD awareness month is in April. During a conversation with Winheim, she said that the shame around STDs is keeping people from getting the medical care they need.
“It will stop them, and if it’s not treated, it can lead to a lot of other problems,” she said. “If they don’t get treatment, they still have sex without protection, and if they don’t get treatment, they still pass it on to other people.”
Winheim says that people need to know what their choices are and that there are health centers in the Tampa Bay area that are easy to get to and don’t cost a lot of money.
Winheim said, “We think about all of our costs and try to keep them low. We also have a sliding fee scale.” “So, if you’re unemployed, don’t have insurance, and can’t pay for it, we won’t turn you away. We’ll make sure people see you.”
Pinellas County (727) 328-3260 or Hillsborough County (813) 237-3066.
The staff at Empath Partners in Care says that talking about STDs is the best way to get rid of the bad reputation they have. Winheim said that one reason STDs and STIs are so common in Florida is because people don’t get treated for them and unknowingly spread disease and infection to other people.
