Planned Parenthood to offer STD tests

Free sexually transmitted disease tests will be offered at Planned Parenthood in Bloomington this week, as well as every Friday through the end of the month.

The free screenings for chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV are part of the national “Get Yourself Tested” campaign and National STD Awareness Month. Nineteen clinics throughout the state are participating.

The “Get Yourself Tested” campaign started in April 2009 and is a partnership between national organizations, including MTV and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 19 million new cases of STDs occur each year in the United States, half of which are among 15- to 24-year-olds, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a sexual health research organization. 

“Getting tested for STDs and HIV is key to staying healthy,” John Stutsman, Planned Parenthood of Indiana medical director, said in a press release. “Many sexually transmitted infections do not exhibit any obvious symptoms.”

— Jaclyn Lansbery