116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
‘If you use it, test it’ with free sexually transmitted infection kits in Linn County
Gen Z defines ‘sex’ differently, may lead to confusion about infection risk
Erin Jordan
Apr. 10, 2024 5:00 am, Updated: Apr. 10, 2024 7:22 am
Amid rising rates of some sexually-transmitted infections, Linn County Public Health wants people to know: “If you use it, test it.”
This evocative message is intended to broaden awareness about the risk of spreading infections through sex that isn’t intercourse.
“This slogan refers to the idea that individuals who are sexually active should get body parts used during sexual activity tested for STIs,” the agency said in a recent news release. “Since there is not one test for all STIs, individuals may need to have multiple tests done to get a complete STI test result. Areas that may be tested for STIs include an individual’s blood, urine, throat, genital area, or rectal area.”
This message may be particularly relevant to Gen Z — people born roughly between 1996 and 2010 — who may have a different perspective on what constitutes “having sex,” according to a 2023 Associated Press story.
“For teens today, the conversation about sexuality is moving from a binary situation to a spectrum and so are the kinds of sex people are having,” the AP reported. “And while the vocabulary around sex is shifting, the main question on the CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) survey has been worded the same way since the government agency began its biannual study in 1991: Have you ‘ever had sexual intercourse?’”
A survey of 746 people ages 14 to 24 from Portugal showed young people felt more knowledgeable about HIV and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and less knowledgeable about chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, according to a study published in 2022.
These three STIs have increased in Iowa in recent years.
For all ages, it can be harder to seek testing or treatment for sexually-transmitted infections because of fear of being judged by peers or providers, said Pramod Dwivedi, health director for Linn County Public Health.
“Historically and culturally they have had some taboos,” he said.
If not treated, STIs can lead to infertility or other long-term consequences, such as neurological and cardiovascular disease. Most STIs are preventable and treatable, Dwivedi said. But these infections don’t always come with symptoms, so testing is vital.
“Especially those who are sexually active and may have multiple partners frequent testing would be a good idea,” Dwivedi said. “If you’re not preventing yourself, you’re transmitting the same infection to other partners.”
Testing for STIs is usually easy, quick and pain free. It’s also free of cost if you get tested at Linn County Public Health or pick up at-home test kits at one of the following locations:
- Linn County Public Health, 1020 Sixth St. SE, Cedar Rapids
- CR Care Pharmacy: 3100 E Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids
- Reutzel Pharmacy: 317 Eighth Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids
- Mount Vernon Pharmacy: 101 First St. NE, Mount Vernon
- Central City Family Pharmacy: 402 E. Main St., Central City
- Center Point Family Pharmacy: 900 Bank Ct., Center Point
- Atkins Family Pharmacy: 401 Cardinal Ave., Atkins
- Nightengale Drug: 304 E First St., Monticello
- Nightengale Drug: 303 W. Main St., Anamosa
- NuCara Pharmacy: 500 Second St., Traer
If you get a positive test, it’s important to follow up with your doctor or the public health department, Dwivedi said. “Our nurses are trained to provide further guidance and treatment,” he said.
For more information on STI testing and services offered by Linn County Public Health, go to bit.ly/3kJMWSB or call the Linn County Public Health clinic at (319) 892-6093 to schedule a testing appointment.
Among U.S. high school students surveyed in 2021:
• 30 percent had ever had sexual intercourse
• 48 percent did not use a condom the last time they had sex
• 8 percent had been physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to
• 9 percent of all students have ever been tested for HIV
• 5 percent of all students have been tested for sexually transmitted diseases during the past year
Comments: (319) 339-3157; erin.jordan@thegazette.com