Cole County health officials to host discussion on STDs

The Cole County Health Department will hold a community-wide presentation on sexually transmitted diseases next Monday evening.

The event is geared toward teenagers and their parents, guardians and teachers who want to know more about STDs in the county.

It is intended to show parents what their children are learning in health classes, create discussions about healthy relationships and determine how to talk about STDs with children.

Crystal Sullivan, chief clinical officer at Community Health Center, and Health Department nurses will be on hand to address questions from the public.

The program is scheduled to run 6-7 p.m. Monday at Hawthorn Bank Community Room, 3600 Amazonas Drive in Jefferson City.

According to information from the Health Department, there are 20 million new cases of STDs reported in the United States annually. People ages 15-24 make up 50 percent of new cases, according to the department's data.

The department hopes to educate youth and parents about the dangers and burdens of the diseases.

It hopes to "educate role models on how to speak openly about STDs, reducing risk and how to get tested," according to the flier.