STD Awareness & Screening Services

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can cause serious health issues such as chronic illness, infertility, hospitalization and death. Some are able to be treated effectively or even cured, but only if the person is aware that they have an STD. If left untreated and undiagnosed, STDs can lead to long-term complications.

In 2018, San Bernardino County reported over 21,000 cases of STDs with large increases in gonorrhea and syphilis. Currently, San Bernardino County ranks among the highest in numbers of STD cases in the United States. This is a serious public health issue that must be addressed.

As a department, we value the power of collective impact and this is an issue that cannot be addressed by public health agencies alone. In 2017, the department convened an STD taskforce with representatives from different community and agency partners. The goal of the taskforce was to raise awareness about this issue and look for innovative interventions in partnership with the community and other organizations. 

We have also responded to this problem by sending a mobile testing unit to areas where at-risk communities have limited access to screening services. The mobile testing unit screens for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and HIV. 

DPH believes providing access to free or low-cost screening services is one way to prevent the spread of STDs. Our goal is to increase the number of screenings offered to at-risk communities.

Since the successful establishment of the STD taskforce in 2017, we have been tracking the number of meetings and taskforce partners in attendance. The goal is to meet at least twice every fiscal year. 

The mobile testing unit was able to conduct 78 screenings of multiple STDs in fiscal year 2018-19. Although the target for the last fiscal year was not met, DPH's Communicable Disease Section (CDS) is looking to increase the number of times the mobile unit is sent out to the community. CDS will also be partnering with other agencies to increase the use of the unit in the community.  

Get tested! Visit the CDS site to learn more about where to get tested.

Continue to work with and create partnerships with community and agency partners to provide testing, treatment and prevention education.

 For more information, please visit the DPH Communicable Disease Section Site.