We’re excited to announce that starting January 2021 Revan Health will provide free HIV and STD testing as part of our 340B federal designation. Getting tested is an important part of sexual health and well-being for everyone who’s sexually active but it may be especially important to members of the LGBTQ community who often don’t receive adequate education and information on safe sex.
According to Human Rights Campaign, one in four LGBTQ students reported not receiving useful information on HIV and AIDS. This is a critical fail because one million people in the US are currently living with HIV and 40,000 people are diagnosed every year.
Regular STD testing is also important since many common STDs don’t always present with symptoms, which means you could pass an STD to someone you have sex with and not even know it. Knowing whether or not you have an STD is key when it comes to protecting yourself and your partners. Getting tested is the only way to know for sure.
Some STDs can also cause serious damage to your health over time if left untreated. These possible long-term health problems can include pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, tubal or ectopic pregnancy, cervical cancer and perinatal or congenital infections in infants born to infected mothers. Infection with certain STDs can also increase the risk of contracting and spreading HIV.
Following are the Center for Disease Control’s STD testing recommendations*:
All adults and adolescents from ages 13 to 64 should be tested at least once for HIV.
All sexually active women younger than 25 years should be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year. Women 25 years and older with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners or a sex partner who has an STD should also be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year.
All pregnant women should be tested for syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B starting early in pregnancy. At-risk pregnant women should also be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea starting early in pregnancy. Testing should be repeated as needed to protect the health of mothers and their infants.
All sexually active gay and bisexual men should be tested at least once a year for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Those who have multiple or anonymous partners should be tested more frequently for STDs (i.e., at 3- to 6-month intervals).
Sexually active gay and bisexual men may benefit from more frequent HIV testing (e.g., every 3 to 6 months).
Anyone who has unsafe sex or shares injection drug equipment should get tested for HIV at least once a year.
STDs and sexual health in general can be difficult to talk about. At Revan, we’re working to help remove the stigma and awkwardness and create a supportive, comforting environment where everyone feels safe and empowered with the knowledge they need to have a healthy and satisfying sex life. If you’re sexually active, please consider getting tested for STDs on a regular basis, not only for your peace of mind but also for that of your potential partners.
Revan Health provides welcoming, respectful family medicine for all from infants to geriatrics. We understand the pain and frustration that comes with not feeling heard by your family care provider. We believe access to respectful care is key to improving medicine adherence and overall life satisfaction for our patients. Like us on Facebook or visit us at revanhealth.com.
* https://www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/screeningreccs.htm