STD Number Sky Rocket In Canyon County

Southwest District Health thinks you should get tested after a spike in STD cases in Canyon County.

According to KTVB, 21 cases of syphilis were diagnosed in January. That's 4x the number of cases they expected to see. A spokesperson said most of these cases were white gay or bisexual men who reported using drugs and alcohol. There was also a connection to the infected people becoming infected after sexual contact with people they met online.

If untreated syphilis can cause difficulty with muscle movement, blindness, paralysis, dementia or death.

Early diagnosis and treatment are essential so health officials recommend visiting a clinic that does free testing if you've engaged in some risky business.