LONGVIEW, Texas — According to the latest report from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Tyler, Longview and Nacogdoches rank in the top 50 cities with highest rate of certain sexually transmitted diseases. A high rate of HIV and AID diagnoses are also reported.
Kendrick Hall oversees HIV and Substance abuse health care at Special Health Resources for 23 counties and said he has noticed the rise. He attributes it to more people being sexually active and not using protection.
“Teenagers, on up to the age of 24 are out having unprotected sex because now they feel like there’s a pill or something they can take and they’ll be okay,” Hall said.
Tyler ranks 18th in the state for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and Syphilis. Longview comes in 39th and Nacogdoches is also in the top 50. Hall also attributes the rise to a lack of education.
“Kids today get all their information from Facebook or their friends or their cell phones,” he said.
They see a glamorization of sexuality and parents are not comfortable discussing sex education with their kids, according to Hall.
“Start talking to your kids,” he said. “If we don’t talk to our kids, the streets will, somebody else will.”
According to DSHS, Gregg County ranked No. 23 for people living with HIV, and 22 FOR AIDS.
Smith County ranked 22 for people living with HIV.
“If we have that conversation with our children, nieces, nephews, grandkids, then we open that up to let them come back and talk to us, because then they’ll say, ‘I think I might be ready, can I talk to you about sex, drugs,” Hall said.
Chlamydia is the most common STD in the united states, affects 1 in 2 people ages 14 to 24, and can cause serious secondary conditions.
“Express that you have a concern for them instead of that you have a lack of respect for them because they did something out of the ordinary,” said Hall.
He encourages parents not to stigmatize sex education.
“As parents we need to tell them why when we tell them no,” he said. “By having sex it could lead to STD’s it could lead to different issues with your body. Have that conversation.”
You can find out more information, including how to get free HIV testing and more by clicking here.