Get Tested! UHealth Clinic at Walgreens Launches HIV/Sexual Health Program
Sex. It’s a sensitive topic, and not one many people feel comfortable discussing – especially if it involves talking about sexually transmitted diseases.
Nonetheless, it’s a conversation every sexually active person should have with his or her health care provider. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are common; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 20 million new sexually transmitted infections occur nationwide every year. In Miami-Dade and Broward counties, STD rates – chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea – are among the highest in the state, and Miami is an epicenter of the nation’s HIV epidemic.
STD services at UHealth
The University of Miami Health System now offers screenings, prevention, and treatment services with the aim of reducing transmission of HIV and other STDs. The pilot initiative launched on World AIDS Day last December at three of 17 UHealth Clinic at Walgreens locations.
“Our goal is to broaden access to STD and HIV screening and preventive services, as well as STD treatment, for anyone in our South Florida community who may be at risk,” said Cristina Rubio-Delgado, M.S.N., ARNP, FNP-BC, executive director for UHealth Clinic at Walgreens. “We want people to know that there are options available and choices they can make for themselves to protect their health.”
As part of this new service, UHealth nurse practitioners provide screenings for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, hepatitis B and C, and gonorrhea. They also provide patient counseling, prescriptions, and referrals to UHealth specialists when appropriate.
In addition to STD screening and treatment, nurse practitioners offer counseling and prescriptions for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication taken by high-risk patients who do not have HIV to help protect against future HIV infection.
“Until we have a vaccine or cure, PrEP is an essential part of the toolkit in stemming the spread of HIV,” said Dr. Susanne Doblecki-Lewis, a UHealth infectious diseases physician and researcher. “One of the limitations has been lack of availability and easy access to PrEP. This new initiative will bridge that gap.”
Are you at risk?
More than half of all new STDs are among sexually active people between the ages of 15 to 24, and are spread through vaginal, oral and anal sex. Populations at highest risk of becoming infected with HIV and STDs include men who have sex with men, intravenous drug users and their partners, and people who have more than one sexual partner and use condoms inconsistently.
If you are concerned about STDs, or if you have symptoms – such as vaginal or penile discharge, painful urination, or genital rashes, blisters or sores – you should seek medical testing and treatment right away. Many STDs can be treated with antibiotics or antiviral medications to clear or control them. The first step is to be tested so that the appropriate treatment can be determined.
If you’re having sex, you are at risk of being infected. Make an appointment today at one of the three STD/PrEP clinic locations today:
15255 SW 137th Avenue, Miami, FL
GET TESTED!
To make an appointment, call 888-689-UM4U (8648) or click on the location link below:
15255 SW 137th Avenue, Miami, FL
