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Viral post misrepresents Texas STD data | Fact check
By Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY,
3 days ago
An Indian nurse carries out a test for HIV/AIDS during an event to mark International Condom Day in New Delhi on February 13, 2018. The event was organised by AIDS Healthcare Foundation to promote the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) like HIV, and unwanted preganancies, through condom distribution and to create awareness of safe sex. / AFP PHOTO / Sajjad HUSSAIN (Photo credit should read SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images) SAJJAD HUSSAIN, AFP via Getty Images
The claim: 40,000 people were diagnosed with STDs the week of June 9 in Houston
A June 20 Facebook post ( direct link , archive link ) shows a chart of sexually transmitted diseases beside a column of corresponding numbers.
"More than 40,000 people in Houston, Texas were diagnosed with an STD last week," reads text in the post.
The post shows the number of STD tests distributed within a week throughout all of Texas, not the number diagnosed in Houston. A spokesperson for the city's health department said the numbers do not indicate whether the tests were positive or negative.
Post shows number of tests distributed, not positive results
Tucker Wilson , a spokesperson for the Houston Department of Health, told USA TODAY the post includes "grossly overstated numbers and incorrect information."
"The numbers represent laboratory tests reported for the entire state whether the test is positive or negative," Wilson said in an email. "Statewide, about 1.2 million HIV tests and 1.6 million syphilis tests are reported every year."
She said the publication of the data was a "misuse of a data system that violated (the health department's) policies and procedures to protect the public’s health."
"Although the intent was to communicate a public health message, the violation resulted in the sharing of aggregate STD and HIV data on social media," Wilson said. "No protected health information or personally identifiable information was released."
She said the department is investigating the data's release and implementing security measures "to prevent such future incidents."
Data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the number of STD cases reported for the week of June 9 in Texas was nowhere near the post's claim.
The likelihood of more than 17,000 cases of HIV being reported within a week in Houston is also unlikely, seeing as 16,700 new cases were reported in the entire southern region of the U.S. in 2021.
The user who shared the post failed to provide evidence to back up their claim when reached out to by USA TODAY.
USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta .
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