MILWAUKEE -- It may be hard to think about, but an important fact for Milwaukee singles to know.
Health statistics provided by the AIDS Resource Center Wisconsin, Sixteenth Street Community Health Center and UMOS show roughly half of all sexually active people in our city will get an STD by age 25.
"I think people just need to be open to this conversation," said Jose Salazar with Sixteenth Street Community Health Center.
"It's the one thing people don't feel comfortable talking about."
The outreach center offers free HIV testing. Out of the roughly 500 patients they test each year on Cesar Chavez Drive, about five will test positive.
"Sometimes that's what prevents people from getting tested because they are afraid of knowing," said Salazar.
Our state health department estimates 1,200 people are living with HIV in our state right now and do not know it.
Chlamydia is the most contagious sexually transmitted disease in Wisconsin. More than 6,900 people between ages 15-24 years old tested positive for the bacterial infection in 2017. That's followed by more than 2,500 gonorrhea cases and 87 syphilis cases.
Sixteenth Street gives out free condoms and advice for people to protect themselves.
"It may be reducing the number of partners," said Salazar. "It's never recommended to drink or use drugs and have sex."
Sixteenth Street's outreach center will go out to bars and clubs to offer free HIV and STD testing.
Call (414) 897-5645 to get a hold of them.
