D.C. schools offering free STD tests to students

WASHINGTON - Did you know D.C. is on the cutting edge when it comes to testing young people for sexually transmitted diseases?

This year, the District became only the second city in the country behind Philadelphia to offer free testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia in all public high schools. Students can choose not to participate or to confidentially submit a urine sample and get results back in about two weeks.

Dr. Shannon Hader with the D.C. Department of Health says the tests "rapidly diagnose diseases that these kids are walking around with and don't even know they have."

The program started two years ago when about 700 students were tested at two D.C. charter schools. Hader says the results were surprising.

"We were shocked because we found that about 9 percent of those kids had an active untreated STD that they didn't know about, and we wouldn't have known about it and been able to treat it for them and give them more information on had we not showed up.

"I think what's most innovative is our use of text messaging," Hader says.

"We let kids know their test results are in if they want to, by text. We don't tell them what their results are, we just say 'Hey, your test results are back, call us if you want them,' and we get these floods of telephone calls."

Also popular is a text messaging program called Realtalk that tells you where to get free STD testing and condoms in the city. The program is available to anyone, and also offers a trivia game that tests your knowledge of HIV.

Another free service everyone in the area can use is called inSPOT. If you test positive for an STD, the service lets you send an anonymous e-card to your sexual partners, urging them to also get tested.

In addition, a community health organization called Metro TeenAIDS offers quick, free, painless, confidential HIV testing in the District. The test takes about 20 minutes.

(Copyright 2009 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)