OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Omaha exceeds the national average for sexually transmitted disease rates and has done so since the mid-'90s, data from the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) shows.
April is STD Awareness Month, shining light on a widespread health issue that's hit the Omaha area hard for over a decade.
Since 2004, chlamydia rates have remained high in Douglas County--nearly double the state-wide average.
There were 3,795 total cases of chlamydia reported in Douglas County in 2018, mostly affecting those between 20 and 24-years-old.
Gonorrhea rates also remain higher than the national average in the Omaha area, while syphilis cases have spiked dramatically in the last two years.
Approximately 5,822 individuals visited STD clinics in 2018.
DCHD has a STD Control Program in place designed to provide resources for exams/treatment, help with notifying partners anonymously, provide data surrounding diseases and educate the community.
Douglas County has various STD clinics available--many of them free of cost.
Information on the Douglas County STD Clinic can be found here.
DCHD provides a map of other testing locations and where to find free condoms here.
