FAYETTEVILLE-- According to a survey by the Centers of Disease Control, for every 100,000 people in Fayetteville, nearly 1,500 of them have been, or should have been treated for a sexually transmitted disease.
Sherry McNamara blames the statistic on Fayetteville being a military town. And she thinks the high volume of bars and strip clubs play a role.
We can't be sure about why STDs are rampant in Fayetteville, but Pharmacist Elizabeth Hudson says we can be sure about this, STD testing is crucial.
"Sometimes they can be asymptomatic and you can be spreading STDs without even knowing it," said Elizabeth Hudson.
McNamara says she's regularly tested, even though she's in a committed marriage.
"It's important to me, just to make sure I'm healthy," said McNamara.
Health professionals says there should be no shame in practicing safe sex, getting tested or picking up your prescription for an STD.
In fact, a common STD treatment is also used to treat your average stomach virus.
"So, even the pharmacist sometimes doesn't even know what you're being treated for," said Hudson.
Hudson encourages safe sex, even for those in committed relationships, and yearly testing.
"Any kind of high risk sexual behavior, need to be tested more often," said Hudson.