Bergen County Freeholders Pass Resolution in Support of STD Testing and Awareness
For Immediate Release: April 5, 2018
PLANNED PARENTHOOD ACTION FUND OF NEW JERSEY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2018
Contact: Casey Olesko 201.647.5502 / [email protected]
Bergen County Freeholders Pass Resolution in Support of STD Testing and Awareness
Resolution commemorates Get Yourself Tested Month
HACKENSACK, NJ — In honor of National Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Awareness Month this April, the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted unanimously last night in support of a resolution recognizing April as Get Yourself Tested Month. The resolution urges Bergen County residents to take control of their reproductive health by getting tested for STDs, a service which is available at Bergen County’s two local Planned Parenthood health centers.
“With the rate of STDs having increased drastically since 2009, I want to shatter the stigma of getting tested—doing so is a basic part of taking care of yourself and staying healthy,” said Freeholder Tracy Zur, Chair of the Health Committee. “As Freeholders, we are proud to support this important initiative and urge all of our community members to know your status and take control of your health.”
There are still a lot of myths and misunderstandings about having an STD. Getting an STD or having a partner with an STD is extremely common. What’s important is making sure that no matter what your status, you’re able to take care of your sexual health. All STDs, even HIV, are treatable, and many are curable. Early treatment can help prevent serious, lifelong health problems that can result from untreated STDs. But you can’t get treatment if you don’t know your status. And the only way to know your status is to get tested.
To commemorate Get Yourself Tested Month, Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey (PPNCSNJ), which operates the two Planned Parenthood health centers in Bergen County, is holding a Free STD Testing Week from April 16-21. At all of PPNCSNJ’s 17 health centers across the state, including the health centers located in Hackensack and Englewood, individuals can walk in during normal business hours that week to receive free testing for HIV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. In addition to health services, PPNCSNJ’s trained educators, as well as Planned Parenthood supporters across the state, are getting the word out about the importance of STD testing through themed education programs and community involvement.