Identified Health Risk of Increasing STD Rates in Cicero, IL

The rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea are on the rise in Cicero, Illinois, but you can be part of the solution in reducing rates! The biggest risk in catching both chlamydia and gonorrhea is through unprotected sex of any kind including oral, vaginal, or anal. While the most effective way to avoid catching these STDs is by not having sex of any kind at all, the use of condoms with every sexual encounter is a good way to significantly reduce your risk of catching chlamydia or gonorrhea. Both chlamydia and gonorrhea often present with no symptoms indicating that they are present, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t cause damage down the line. Long term effects of these diseases on both men and women include long term pain and the inability to have children, which can be permanent. There is treatment for both chlamydia and gonorrhea, which is antibiotic medication. If prescribed an antibiotic medication, it is important to complete the entire prescription to avoid re-infection. If you are sexually active, you should be getting regular STD screenings to screen for chlamydia and gonorrhea since as mentioned, condoms are not 100% effective and both STDs usually have no symptoms. There are several health facilities in the town which offer STD screenings during different hours for all levels of income.

While this WebQuest primarily focused on the STDs chlamydia and gonorrhea, there are several other STDs that you should be aware of when it comes to your sexual health. There are some resources below to investigate different STDs and how to be safe. The more you know, the better protected you are!