The total number of people infected with sexually transmitted diseases increased this year, according to a quarterly assessment study released by San Mateo County's STD Controller.
This conclusion was gleaned from the tests that are administered at private and public health clinics, such as the in Menlo Park, and the Edison Clinic in San Mateo.
California law mandates that all healthcare providers report when patients test positive for STDs to local health officers, with the goal of having data that will allow them to allocate resources to control that disease.
In the third quarter of this year, 42 people out of 51 tested positive for the HIV antibody, compared to 13 out of 43 from the same time period last year.
The county has tested a total of 3,802 specimens for HIV this year, which is a decrease of 1,507 from last year's 5,309 tests this time of year.
To put this into context, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates San Mateo County had 718,989 residents as of 2009.
Anyone who lives in San Mateo County can visit the Edison clinic from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesdays or Thursdays to get an STD test for $25.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
