The St. Joseph Health Department is offering a free testing day this week as it works to highlight the impacts of sexually transmitted diseases during STI awareness month in April.

The City of St. Joseph Health Department Community Health division is offering a free clinic on Tuesday, April 19th to test for the STI’s chlamydia and gonorrhea. No appointment will be necessary. The free testing will be available from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Patee Market Health Center, 904 South 10th Street.

The Department said in 2015, the 16 county-region in Northwest Missouri diagnosed over 1,000 new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also known as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), not including HIV, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services data.

A report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that half of all new STIs in the country occur among young men and women aged 15 to 24.

The department said year’s awareness theme, “Talk, Test, Treat”, emphasizes a comprehensive approach to prevention of new infections.

It said there are effective ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat ST16Is.

Early screening and diagnosis are essential in preventing transmission and the long-term sexual and reproductive health consequences of STIs. The City of St. Joseph Health Department, located at 904 S. 10th Street, offers STI testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and Hepatitis C, Monday through Friday, by appointment only, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. There is a $10.00 charge for the visit but treatment for curable STIs is free of charge.