FACT CHECK: Were Over 40,000 People In Houston, Texas Diagnosed With An STD The Week Of June 9?

A post shared on Facebook claims 40,000 people in Houston, Texas were diagnosed with a type of STD during the week of June 9, 2024. 

Verdict: False

The claim is baseless. Data from the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) site shows that there were no STD cases reported during that week. 

Fact Check:

A Texas man who admitted to the kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of an 18-year-old was executed Wednesday via chemical injection, according to AP News. He apologized to the family of the victim, saying, “I owe all of you my life and I hope one day you will forgive me,” the outlet reported.

A Facebook post claims that 40,000 STD cases were reported during the week of June 9 in Texas. The post shows a chart allegedly backing up the claim.

The text on the image reads, “More than 40,000 people in Houston, Texas were diagnosed with an STD last week.”

The post is inaccurate, however. The CDC website shows that no STDs were reported in Texas for the week ending in June 15. The data shows only 186 cases have been reported in the state so far in 2024 and 25 were reported in the last 52 weeks.

Tucker Wilson, a spokesperson for Houston Department of Health, provided Check Your Fact with a statement from the department via email. “The numbers represent laboratory tests reported for the entire state whether the test is positive or negative,” it reads, in part. “Statewide, about 1.2 million HIV tests and 1.6 million syphilis tests are reported every year.” (RELATED: No, 80 Percent Of Texas’ ‘Cattle Grazing Land’ Was Not Destroyed By Recent Fires)

Check Your Fact has contacted a CDC spokesperson for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.