California ranks 2nd among the 50 states in the number of new HIV diagnoses in 2015.

In Fresno County California, cases of syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV are the most common communicable infections reported to the health department, with 5,966 new chlamydia infections, 1,766 new gonorrhea infections and 40 cases of congenital syphilis reported in the county in 2015.

Tragically, there has also been a threefold increase in cogenital syphilis cases between 2011 and 2015. When a mother with untreated syphilis passes it to her baby, the baby is born severely anemic, lungs filled with fluid, body covered with rashes. Some only live minutes; others die within days or weeks, and the ones that survive carry an elevated risk of long-term health problems.

This rise is worrisome to experts, especially since syphilis had almost disappeared by the year 2000. California’s spike mirrors the overall rise in syphilis and other STDs across the nation. Shared needles and unprotected sex remain the dominant leading causes.

Private Testing Center joins the fight against the STD and HIV epidemic by offering convenient, safe, and affordable STD testing. We have 22 different locations within 50 miles of Fresno, CA, and that joins the over 2,000 testing locations we maintain nationwide. Same day appointments are usually available, and the average lab visit lasts just 15 minutes.

Don’t leave this aspect of your health to chance. You owe it to yourself and to your loved ones to get tested regularly. Many STDs are treatable and even curable if caught in the early stages. Schedule a test today and protect yourself.