Sunday, September 25, 2011

LA Churches Work to Stop STD Outbreaks Among Black Women

Your Black World reports

 

Gonorrhea and Chlamydia  outbreaks have run rampant among the black female community in Los Angeles.  The Los Angeles Times reports that in 2009, LA county ranked number one in the country for Chlamydia cases and second for Gonorrhea. 

There is a group of pastors and preacher’s wives working to correct this problem.  They are encouraging an at-home testing campaign to convince people to find out their status.   “Nobody wants to talk about it,” said Debra Williams, the wife of a pastor who preaches at McCoy Memorial Baptist Church. "We need to change that.”

Public health officials are giving access to free tests and other information that will help people find out what’s going on with their bodies.  If a woman takes the test, she can get her test results through a website or toll-free number.   They also have workers who can give the tests out directly after meeting women who request them.

“This is not only STD prevention,” he said. “It's pregnancy prevention. It's HIV prevention,” said Peter Kerndt, the director of the county’s STD program.

"This is probably the first time you have pastors and first ladies coming forward to address an issue that heretofore has been considered taboo," he said.

The CDC recommends yearly screening for venereal diseases for both men and women who are sexually-active.  If left untreated, Gonorrhea can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease or arthritis.   Chlamydia can destroy a woman’s ability to reproduce and often shows no symptoms.  It can be passed through vaginal, anal or oral sex.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

These young women are in a Much Higher Risk for HIV. Its a blessing the church is involved we will have an outbreak like no other. I've been working with young women since 1998 Prevention is secondary to young people. There is a Sexual Revolution since burning Bras. Its Not just inner city Teen.CDC isn't ready for this out break.

Anonymous said...

I find this article to be interesting to say the least. The reason being is that black women don't have sex. They go to work, go home, and spend all their free time in church.

And...Steve Harvey has told blackwomen everywhere not to give any man any intimacy for at least 90 days.

I guess when you spend your life dancing in church and then sneaking around after service, you reap what you sow.

Victoria Ruth said...

A lot of these women don't have role models, and a lot of them are not hoes, so lets just make that clear. No ones teaching them to abstain from sex until they're married. When I got married at 18 it was a big shock to my family and friends. "Why are you getting married so young?" was there stupid remark I constantly heard.

A lot of these girls are looking for love from a man because there daddies left their moms to raise them alone. They do what they see, and if Steve Harvey is telling them to wait 90 days for intimacy that's still teaching them to give it up after 3 months after you meet a man. The devil is very persistent. He'll wait 90 days to give you a disease. He'll get what he want and he'll move on the the next chick. Let's keep it real.

I praise God the churches in L.A. have decided to talk about this issue instead of turning there backs on them. I was in a church that told my husband and I, "don't talk to the youth about sex", but they were not going to talk to them about it either, so who should they talk to. A lot of churches are running away from this topic, but when you have 20 young adults asking you about sex, you should give them a reasonable answer for the hope that lies within you. So we told them abstinence is the best way...and we gave them scriptural evidence.

God ordained sex to be between the husband and his wife. Not someone else's wife or another man. Let's just put it out there. If we are going to follow the word of God we have to follow every part of it.

When we talk about sex before marriage we have to realize that such were some of you. Women are more effected by these diseases because they have symptoms, while men/ little boys are walking around effected with no sign of these symptoms, sleeping with God knows who. Instead of pointing the finger, offer a solution. Sometimes what you did way back when, could be lying dormant in your system, and when you think you're holier than Jesus, God can pull the cover and expose the sin you never repented of. Man should always pray, and always have a repentant heart. We haven't made it yet saints.

Let's pray for these girls and young men, and not condemn them. Allow them to see a bunch of married folks loving each other. Allow them to feel the love of Christ. Sure they might have babies of of wedlock, and infected with numerous disease, but God came to seek and to save those that are lost.

Last point...

The lady caught in adultery was told by a God she never knew, "go and sin no more." Jesus knew she was already condemned and he loved her enough to not condemn her anymore. I admonish everyone to Go and sin no more.

Anonymous said...

I cannot wait for the day when men are encouraged to stop sleeping with multiple women at the same time. The unfairness of these statistics is they do not delve into the lives of these women. I'm sure most of them were in (what they thought)a committed relationship.

Are there any tests for the husbands or boyfriends?

Anonymous said...

I too am looking forward to the NUMEROUS ARTICLES telling black men to get tested for STD's....how about on the scoreboard at the football game, since they don't go to church, right? and not ALL black women spend ALL their time in church....