Churches Will Help Promote an L.A. County Campaign Against Chlamydia and Gonorrhea

Pastors and “first ladies” from churches throughout South Los Angeles are supporting a new self-service STD testing and awareness outreach.

Under the campaign, kiosks and a mobile health van will boost young women’s access to free tests and information, while patient follow-up at clinics and prevention education at schools will expand. Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Department of Public Health Director Dr. Jonathan Fielding, who are leading the effort, announced details of the program to school officials, church leaders, public health experts, and media at a gathering at the new King Center for Public Health in Willowbrook.

“This is probably the first time you have pastors and first ladies coming forward to address an issue that heretofore has been considered taboo,” Ridley-Thomas said.

“Nobody wants to talk about” the problem of rising chlamydia and gonorrhea rates among young black women, said Debra Williams, whose husband is pastor at McCoy Memorial Baptist Church. “We need to change that.”

Los Angeles County reported 45,400 chlamydia cases and 10,400 gonorrhea cases last year, data show. In 2009, the county led the nation for chlamydia case numbers and was second for gonorrhea.

The 2nd Supervisorial District, which includes South Los Angeles and two dozen other communities, has a disproportionate number of residents with both diseases, according to the county Department of Public Health. In addition, rates are much higher for black females ages 15-24 than for any other population.

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