PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — The Portsmouth City Health Department is urging area residents to get tested for chlamydia, one of the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infections in the country, health officials said this week.
In a social media post, the health department said chlamydia is common and treatable, and it encouraged residents to get tested, get their results and get treated if needed. Confidential testing can be scheduled by calling 740-353-8863, the department said.
Chlamydia is the most frequently reported sexually transmitted infection in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 1.6 million cases were reported nationally in 2023, and the CDC says the true number is likely far higher because an estimated 70% to 80% of infections cause no symptoms, leaving many people unaware they have it.
Left untreated, chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility in women and, in rare cases, a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, according to the CDC. Once diagnosed, the infection can be cured with a single dose of azithromycin or a week-long course of doxycycline. The CDC recommends that sexually active women age 25 and younger be tested at least once a year.
The health department’s clinic at 605 Washington St. offers testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, hepatitis C and HIV, according to the department’s website and the CDC’s national HIV and STI testing locator. The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and offers free HIV testing, along with a sliding fee scale for uninsured patients that provides discounts of up to 40% with proof of income.
The testing clinic is part of the health department’s broader HIV/STD services division, which the department has said provides screening, treatment referrals and sexual health education across a multi-county area of southern Ohio. The department is also planning a free mobile health screening event later this month at Tracy Park, where it has said it will offer similar STI testing along with rapid HIV and syphilis screening.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Portsmouth City Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
