TULSA, OKLA (KTUL) — Tulsa leaders and community partners are rolling out a new effort aimed at slowing the spread of sexually transmitted infections as rates climb across Tulsa County.
Amplify Tulsa on Tuesday unveiled its first STI Action Plan, a community-driven initiative focused on prevention, education and expanding access to care.
Data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health shows that in 2022, 45 percent of gonorrhea cases and 60 percent of chlamydia cases in Tulsa County were among people ages 15 to 24. While that age group makes up 13 percent of the population, it accounts for nearly 50 percent of STI cases in the United States, underscoring the need for prevention and education.
Heather Duvall, executive director of Amplify Youth Health Collective, said reported case numbers may not reflect the full scope of the problem because not everyone is getting tested or treated.
“The data and the rates that you have are for reported cases. There’s a lot of people who are not accessing testing and treatment, so the rates could be even higher than that, than what we see reported,” Duvall said. “This is why it’s so important to reduce that stigma, increase awareness about how and when people should be accessing testing and treatment, so that we can, you know, have a better, more accurate count, but also really so people can get tested.”
The plan focuses on reducing stigma, increasing education and connecting people to testing and treatment, particularly in communities where access to affordable health care has been a barrier.
Duvall said education is already happening in some Tulsa-area schools, but more conversations are needed at home and across the community.
A toolkit launching on April 20, 2026 is expected to connect people to resources such as testing sites and community partners, including the Tulsa Health Department and other local organizations.
Access the action plan and more information here.
Source: KTUL News — Reporting by Jaiya Brown
