On World AIDS Day, Community Health officials use that backdrop as a springboard to raise awareness about sexually transmitted disease and infection prevention.

The initiative is branded “Protect Your Parts” which was announced at a news conference on Tuesday. One component of the effort is to delineate between Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

Dr. Jennifer Tinguely, Chief Medical Officer for Falls Community Health, feel it’s important to distinguish the two designations. “The term STI is broader and more encompassing because some infections are curable and may not cause any symptoms. If the infection results in altering the typical function of the body, it is then called a disease.”

Tinguely also explains the importance of STD and HIV screening, especially among young adults. “Sexually transmitted diseases affect people of all ages, but we see our biggest case numbers in those ages 15 to 24, both in South Dakota and in the nation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that age group accounts for half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. each year, even though it makes up just a quarter of the sexually active population.”

According to a press release, the Protect Your Parts website, protectyourparts.org, is the first public health website dedicated to locating HIV and STD resources for individuals within this region. Website visitors are able to see all the STD and HIV testing options within the area, locations to obtain free condoms, and more.

Vanessa Sweeney, Clinic Services Manager for Falls Community Health, says the goal is to reach those who are most at risk. “This website was designed with the end user in mind. If someone has a question about where to get tested or how to protect themselves, we want them to be able to access all that information easily and within one site.”

Falls Community Health provides primary health care services and is a resource for people in the community looking for more information about STDs and screening. The clinic also offers free rapid HIV testing on Mondays from 3–7 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the downtown location. During these times, clinic staff are able to screen for risk of STDs and, if appropriate, also provide free STD testing.

Tinguely also brings another element in the effort. “We are excited to announce that in partnership with the South Dakota Department of Health, we are expanding our HIV clinic to a STD clinic. “We will be able to offer free gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis testing, if indicated, during the HIV/STD clinic walk-in hours.”

The Sioux Falls Health Department will be tracking STD rates and working with community partners especially in light of statistics such as the rate of contracting gonorrhea in Minnehaha County tripling since 2011. In Minnehaha County, 257 cases of gonorrhea were diagnosed in 2014, but based on the first nine months of this year, the number of cases in 2015 is on track to be even higher. The rates include a nearly equal number of male and female cases, but the concerning figure is the number of young people impacted by STIs and STDs.

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