Celebrate Loving Safely: Health Department Urges Safe Sex to Prevent STIs this Valentine’s Day
As our community celebrates love this upcoming Valentine’s Day, Alexandria Health Department (AHD) is encouraging residents to always love safely. Specifically, AHD is notifying residents of rising rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and reminding our community of safe sex habits like wearing condoms and getting tested for STIs.
To help promote safe sex practices, AHD staff will be sharing resources around Alexandria this month. Staff will share condoms, lubricant, and information about testing and treatment in our city.
In Alexandria and across Virginia, rates of STIs like gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia have risen steadily since the early 2010s based on data from the Virginia Department of Health.
AHD does not know one exact reason for this increase in STI rates. However, the health department does know that safe habits can protect people from infection. One effective habit that AHD strongly encourages is wearing condoms.
“Condoms are key for preventing STIs,” says AHD Nurse Manager Felicia Bendolph-Simmons. “We have to remember that birth control only prevents pregnancy - not STIs. Also, PrEP only prevents HIV. To prevent the spread of all STIs, we encourage people to use condoms.”
Free condoms are available in bathrooms at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center along with lubricant and multi-lingual pamphlets that explain how to use condoms.
AHD also recommends that people who have sex receive regular STI testing. Testing is the only way to know if someone has an STI so that they can get treated and inform partners.
AHD offers confidential STI testing to all at a sliding fee scale, no insurance required. AHD also offers a medication called DoxyPEP to eligible clients who have had unprotected sex within the previous 3 days to prevent potential infections. Call 703.746.4988 for eligibility details and appointments.
More information about testing and treatment options in Alexandria is available on the health department’s STI website.
“Safe sex is not about fear or avoidance,” said Health Department Director Dr. David Rose. “Instead, it’s about learning safe, effective ways to have sex with less stress and more enjoyment.”
Learn more about safe sex in Alexandria at AHD’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Website.
For media inquiries only, email Eve Elliott, Communications Officer at eve.elliott@vdh.virginia.gov or call 804.467.5160.
If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3960.