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L.A. County To Pass Out Mail-In STD Tests

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Jun 10, 2009 10:40 am US/Pacific

L.A. County To Pass Out Mail-In STD Tests

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Los Angeles county health officials are announcing an in-home, mail-based program for sexually transmitted infection testing.

Women can request testing kits that detect chlamydia or gonorrhea by visiting a Web site or calling a toll-free number.

The kits are then mailed to the women's homes. The program is designed to eliminate clinic waits or costs and targets young women of color. There will be 10,000 kits available immediately.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Los Angeles County ranks first in the nation in the number of chlamydia cases, and second in gonorrhea cases.

County director of public health Dr. Jonathan Fielding says the program can help prevent young women avoid infertility, chronic pain, tubal pregnancies and other problems.

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