CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nueces County is among many areas in Texas that have experienced a spike in new sexually transmitted disease and sexually transmitted infection cases.
Health officials said the most common found in Nueces County are chlamydia and syphilis.
“We’ve seen an increase in all of them across the board; congenital syphilis — to be honest with you — that’s the one that we seen increase the (most)," assistant director of the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District Dr. Dante Gonzalez said.
He said the lack of awareness and understanding of STD’s contributed to the widespread transmission of infections.
“For the longest time, I think people had a very vast knowledge of how diseases were transmitted and then eventually, information kind of gets lost, out of mind out of sight, right? So people kind of stop, or they're not up to date on information like that,” he said.
STDs are spread after exchange of fluids amid sexual contact. Also when partners make contact with infected sores. Gonzalez added that many diseases are preventable.
“I think that’s the most important thing about diseases like this that are communicable was preventable,” he said. “If you take the steps to prevent it, the likelihood of you getting infected with a particular sexually transmitted disease or sexually transmitted infection is (low), by following preventive measures.”
Gonzalez said that taking safety measures, and using protection now will save you a lifetime of medications.
He added it’s important to check in with a primary care doctor and keep a list of sexual partners to ensure catching any STI or STD early.
“Sometimes these STD’s and STI’s, they take a while for them to start manifesting," Gonzalez said. "It’s not from one day to the next. It could be a couple of months, it could be a couple of weeks before these things start manifesting.”
Those in need of condoms, can visit one of the locations listed below:
Adult Video: 7430 I-37
Axis Tattoo: 701 N. Chaparral St.
Beauty Dungeon: 3202 Reid Dr.
Best Western Padre Island: 14050 S. Padre Island Dr.
Bottoms Up: 5945 Williams Dr.
The Cabaret Gentlemen's Club: 5401 Leopard St.
Campus Quarters Housing: 1773 Ennis Joslin Rd.
Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation: 2882 Holly Rd.
Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation Kingsville Sister Elizabeth Clinic: 720 E. Lee Ave.
City of Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District: 1702 Horne Rd.
Clinica Hispana Alice: 523 E. Main St.
Clinica Hispana Corpus: 3507 S. Staples St., 611 S. Tancahua St.
Cloud 9 Lingerie: 4902 Holly Rd.
Corpus Christi Care Center: 1300 3rd St.
Corpus Christi Metro Ministries: 1919 Leopard St.
Del Mar College: 101 Baldwin Blvd., 4101 Old Brownsville Rd.
Diamond Lounge: 3833 Saratoga Blvd.
Disc Go Round: 4646 Everhart Rd.
Electra Art Tattoo: 9938 S. Padre Island Dr.
Frat House: 526 S. Staples St.
Friends 4 Ever Lingerie: 6025 Weber Rd.
Galactic Papes & Vapes: 3521 S. Staples St.
Half Pipe Skate & Stuff: 6037 Weber Rd.
Hidden Door: 802 S. Staples St.
The Hot Box: 142 Dillon Ln.
Hybrid Records: 417 Peoples St.
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