Hockley County STD Rate Higher than Average

SPCAA Levelland Suggests Students Get Tested

 Jacob, Tucker, feature editor

Classes, homework, and relationships have always been at the epicenter of a college student’s mind.  But at South Plains College, there is a new worry lurking in the shadows.

Each year the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) releases a report that states the number of sexually transmitted diseases in the state.  The diseases listed are HIV/AIDS, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.  The report also contains charts and graphs that total and compare the number of cases received during the past two years. 

Due to the state’s large size, Texas is divided into 11 different public health regions.  Lubbock and Hockley counties are located in Region 1.

“Chlamydia is the most common case that we receive from the college,” said Diane Gillit, director of health services at the Levelland center of South Plains Community Action.

Last year, the rate of cases for the Hockley County area was at an average of 388.4, and in the Lubbock County the rate was up to 526.4.  These were astounding leaps from the state average of 316.8. 

“Due to the population increase at SPC, we have been seeing more and more students coming over to get treated for these diseases,” said Gillit.

According to the Texas Department of Health, Chlamydia is an STD that affects millions of people every year.  The spread of this disease is caused by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with a person already carrying the disease.

The disease is very subtle in its early stages.  Many people do not know that they are carrying Chlamydia until more severe health problems occur in their bodies.  Some men and women have no symptoms, and the only way to be sure if someone has the disease is to get tested.  If left untreated, the disease can be quite harmful to both men and women.

Some of the symptoms for women include bleeding between periods, painful and frequent urination, and stomach pains.  Discharge or drip from the penis, painful and frequent urination, or pain and swelling of the testicles are some of the symptoms that may be experienced by men.

In women, the STD can cause a serious infection of the sex organs called Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, or PID.  Complications from Chlamydia could also kill a woman during pregnancy.  In men, Chlamydia causes severe pain in both the penis and testicles.

This STD can also cause sterility, the inability to have children, in both male and female cases.  It also gives the infected individual joint pains, eye infections, liver, heart, and bladder problems for the rest of their lives.

“The key to off-setting Chlamydia is early detection,” said Gillit.  “The test for this disease is for people under the age of 25 and is fairly simple and painless.”

Gillit also noted that in most cases this STD could be cured by taking medicine prescribed by the clinic for a short time.

“We are just trying to get a little more awareness out to the community and the college about this disease,” said Gillit.

Other STDs that are seen at the South Plains Community Action clinic are genital herpes and Human papilloma (genital warts.)  These viruses have no treatment for their cure.  There are some medicines for their control, but they can never be cured.

Many people look to the clinic for prevention, but Gillit says that prevention is supposed to happen outside the clinic, within the community.

The three things that the clinic endorses the most are abstinence, monogamous relationships, and the use of protection during sex.

“During college, students are more sexually active,” said Gillit.  “More than likely, some students will have more than one sexual partner, and therefore the infections are spread around a lot easier.”

Gillit stresses that if students have sex, they should keep it safe by keeping one partner, or even by using a condom during intercourse.

“Nothing changes your college experience more than a STD or an unplanned pregnancy,” said Gillit.

The SPCA clinic is located at 411 Austin Street, next to Lobo Lanes, in Levelland. 

As students enter the clinic they should proceed to the window labeled ‘Family Planning.’  They will then tell the receptionist their name and appointment time.

“The services that we offer students are very low cost,” said Gillit.  “All of our files are also completely confidential.”

The clinic asks many of its clients to call-in their appointments.  This is because it runs on a time-segregated schedule.  Males and females come into the clinic at different times in order to avoid embarrassment.

“We have a room in the back where the guys can go to await their appointment,” said Gillit.  “This is to get them out of the lobby, where all of the young women and children are.”

The clinic is set up with two examination rooms and a lab for testing.  After the appointment, students are given medicine for their illness and led to a room near the reception window.  That is where they give the clinic information regarding their current income.  The workers then take the newly-obtained information, it is decided how much the students will be billed.

Despite the strong need, the SPCAA clinic is not open every day of the week in Levelland.

“We are open here only two to three days a week, depending on appointments,” said Gillit.

This is because clinic employees travel to neighboring counties, such as Terry (Littlefield) and Lamb (Brownfield,) to provide services to other area residents.

Gillit continues to stress the importance of every student’s awareness of Chlamydia and any other STDs.

“I cannot stress the importance of awareness enough to everyone,” said Gillit.  “Students must either be more careful in choosing their partners, or, preferably, not do it at all.”

For more information on STDs and their prevention, contact the SPCAA clinic in Levelland at (806) 894-6104, or visit the SPCAA website at http://www.spcaa.org and click on the family planning link.