Are you worried about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but not sure how to get tested?
STDs continue to be a major public health problem in New York City. The city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) reports that more than one-fifth of NYC adults are engaging in risky sexual behavior, and the majority are not consistently using condoms. And NYC continues to be the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic in the United States.
But when STDs are detected early, they can be treated effectively.
STD Clinics
Go and get tested: The city’s STD clinics are in place to provide free or low-cost testing and treatment for STDs – both crucial for reducing the prevalence of STDs.
To find a city STD clinic near you, visit the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Free and Confidential Clinics or Center for Disease Control’s National HIV and STD Testing Resource Page. Most city clinics are open 8:30 am to 4:00 pm every day, and some clinics have evening and weekend hours. Of the ten DOHMH STD clinics in New York City, three offer limited evening hours (in Chelsea, Riverside, and Fort Greene). These clinics offer evening hours certain days of the week from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Clinics also offer HIV Testing. For a complete listing of city and private clinics in New York City, check out the Guide to Confidential Adolescent Reproductive Health Services in NYC.
Note: Be sure to check the walk-in hours, which are specific to each clinic.
Non-profit organizations, like Planned Parenthood of NYC, also offer free to low-cost confidential STD and HIV testing at all of their city clinics.
Testing for HIV
HIV Tests are also available from Planned Parenthood health centers and most physicians, hospitals, and health clinics. Local, state, and federal health departments offer free testing.
Many city health care providers now offer rapid HIV testing. A rapid test can use an oral swab or blood from a vein or finger prick. The results can take as little as 20 minutes. However, rapid test results that show a person has HIV need to be confirmed with a follow-up test.
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