Preferred Location: 1005 Us 27 S Avon Park,FL 33825 Avon Park Change location
SaferSTD Preferred Location: 1005 Us 27 S Avon Park,FL 33825 Avon Park Change Location
Situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, the state of Florida is blessed with both a hospitable climate and the longest coastline in the Lower 48, which combine to provide it with some of the most welcoming landscapes in the whole of the United States. As a result, it is no wonder that the state sees such a regular influx of visitors, which explains the success of its beach towns as well as the resorts that can be found throughout the Greater Orlando Area. However, this is one of the main reasons that STD clinics and STD testing centers in FL that offer private STD testing so important, which is something that both residents and visitors should keep in mind.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 (CDC) recommends screening for the most common STDs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, herpes 1, herpes 2, and HIV for both men and women. In addition, the CDC suggests women get screened for trichomoniasis.
SaferSTD recommends searching for locations that offer a 10-test panel which tests for the most common bacteria and viral STDs in the U.S. with additional premium add-ons like early HIV detection, if needed.
The CDC2ย provides detailed STD testing information as to when you should get tested. In summary, you should get tested today if you are sexually active, never been tested before, have had unprotected sex in the past, or if you exhibit symptoms.ย
According to the World Health Organization3, the majority of STI cases reported every day, more than one million, are asymptomatic; another reason to get tested today.
You should get tested again in 90 days to rule out STDs that have specific exposure waiting times, including HIV.
STD testing can be a quick and simple process, depending on the type of test you choose and where you get tested. Some may require an oral or genital swab, a urine test or blood sample, or a physical exam to check your genital area for signs of an STD.
SaferSTD has identified preferred providers that require only a urine test, a blood sample, or both without a physical exam.
The speed at which you receive your STD testing results depends on where you get tested. Before you choose your location, find out how long testing results will take.ย
At-home STD testing results are usually 3-5 business days, depending on the manufacturer of your test. You also need to take into account the amount of time it takes to receive the test or pick one up, perform the test, and ship it back, before the lab can analyze your results and report back to you.ย
If you test at a public facility such as a neighborhood clinic, you may have to wait a week, if not more for the results, which could delay treatment. If you test through a private facility, they have the fastest turnaround within 1-3 business days.ย
SaferSTD has researched and identified the most accredited and most reputable testing locations. Click here to find a preferred location near you.
Some STD testing clinics offer same-day walk-in options without an appointment. Below are nearby preferred locations that offer this option.
The cost of STD testing depends on whether you select private, public, or at-home testing, as well as the type of test(s) you need.
Several at-home STD options and public testing locations can cost up to $250, with most on the higher end, depending on the brand and type of testing. Public testing fees also vary based on income and welfare eligibility.ย
With private testing, you may save money on a low-cost comprehensive 10-test panel that tests for the most common bacterial and viral STDs in the United States.ย
SaferSTD has researched and identified reputable locations that offer upfront pricing without hidden fees. Click here to find a preferred location near you.
Accredited and Certified
These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Order online and receive a doctor's order to visit this lab to get tested in as little as 15 mins. Get your results privately within 1-2 business days and speak with a doctor over the phone if your test results come back positive. Doctors may prescribe treatment or refer you to a specialist if needed.
Accredited and Certified
These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Getting an STD test at a clinic near you has never been easier. When you choose this location, you can get a doctor's requisition to get tested in as little as 15 minutes. Following your test, you receive your results privately within 2 business days, and can speak to a doctor over the phone with confidence, should results come back as positive.
Accredited and Certified
These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Why go to a public clinic? Get convenient and fast STD testing that is 100% confidential. Individual tests under $50. Order online and visit this lab the same day for a quick 15 min test. Get your results online within 1-2 business days, and view them privately. Doctor consultation available over the phone, should results come back as positive.
Accredited and Certified
These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Get Fast, Easy and Affordable testing at this location. Results come back within 2 business days and be in and out of the lab in less then 20 minutes.
Show only locations where privacy and discretion is taken into importance.
Description: Please make an appointment for testing services.
Description: Need to enroll as a patient.
Description: Commercial Organization.
Show only locations where you can easily book your test online.
Description: Public Health Department/Social Services Department. Free condoms available. The medical clinic closes daily from 12noon-1pm for lunch
Description: Need to enroll as a patient.
Description: Need to register as a patient.
Show only locations where they offer the HIV RNA Early Detection Test for people who think they may have been recently exposed to the HIV virus
Description: Public Health Department/Social Services Department.
Description: Community Based Organization.
Description: Public Health Department/Social Services Department.
In brief, Florida has a serious problem when it comes to sexual health. For example, the Miami Herald points out that the state has been seeing new cases of HIV on a more frequent basis even though the United States as a whole has been seeing new cases of HIV on a less frequent basis. This is particularly true in Miami-Wade and Broward Counties, which had the number 1 and 2 spots on a per 100,000 people basis in the entire country for 2014. Even worse, the situation shows no signs of improvement, which is made clear by how the two countries were responsible for 38 percent of the 6,240 new cases in 2015.
This is supported by other pieces of less than encouraging news when it comes to sexual health matters in the Sunshine State. For example, Florida ranked 4th out of the 50 states when it came to primary and secondary syphilis with 7.8 cases per 100,000 people in 2013.
Most of these cases came about because of transmissions from adult to adult, but it is important to note that there were also 143 cases of congenital syphilis between 2009 and 2013.
Likewise, other STD statistics show reason for serious concern, ranging from 415.1 cases of chlamydia per 100,000 people and 107.8 cases of gonorrhea per 100,000 people to reported increases in the rates of acute Hepatitis B and C between 2009 and 2013. The last point is particularly concerning because of a 133 percent increase, which is rather problematic because of the causative relationship between Hepatitis C and chronic liver disease, which has become a leading cause of death among Americans.
Based on this, sexual health education in the state of Florida seems lacking. This is supported by an offhand mention of a 2013 survey of high school students in a CDC report on HIV, which revealed that 48.2 percent of the students who were surveyed stated that they had sex at some point but that no more than 35.7 percent of them had bothered to use a condom the last time that they had done so. Considering how simple it is to use a condom as well as how serious the consequences of unsafe sex can be, this makes it clear that something is not going right in the state.
It has been suggested that the problem can be traced to the Department of Education in the state. Although there is a program in place to provide teachers with the tools and training needed to provide their students with the resources needed to protect their sexual health, it is interesting to note that Floridian law mandates the teaching of abstinence as a component of sexual health education but leaves the rest to the local authorities, meaning that there is significant variation in the state’s sexual health education from place to place. Combined with the resources that are being poured into abstinence-focused programs as opposed to more comprehensive programs, this has resulted in lackluster results when it comes to sexual health education in the state.
This is supported by the rising rate of STDs in recent times in the state, with a particularly striking example being syphilis in Broward County, which has seen a 400 percent increase since 2000. Even worse, syphilis is one of those STDs that people can have without knowing that they have it, so much so that around half of the people who become infected in the United States on an annual basis remain unaware of its presence in their bodies.
The state’s demographics are not unusual. For example, 48.8 percent of its population is male and 51.2 percent of its population is female. Furthermore, around 59 percent of its population was White, around 22 percent of its population was Hispanic, around 15 percent of its population was Black, and around 4 percent of its population was Other in 2011, which were a somewhat higher proportion of Blacks and Hispanics as well as a somewhat lower proportion of Whites relative to the national average.
Finally, around 22 percent of its population was younger than 22 years of age, around 60 percent of its population was between 19 and 64 years of age, and 18 percent of its population was older than 64 years of age, meaning that the state has a bigger proportion of seniors compared to the national average.
Regardless, the current situation in the state shows that no segment of the population is safe from the STD threat. For example, some people believe that STDs are less of an issue for seniors because of less active sex lives, but evidence suggests that this is not true, as shown by a 60 percent increase in cases of chlamydia and syphilis among those 55 years of age and older in South Florida between 2005 and 2009 as well as a 70 percent increase for their counterparts living in Central Florida.
In part, this seems to be because people are living longer, healthier lives, which in turn, means that they are remaining sexually active later and later. However, it should also be noted that both men and women are making use of pharmaceuticals and other products to enable their sexual activities. Whatever the exact cause, this means that seniors who are sexually active in the state should be just as cautious about the spread of STDs as their younger counterparts if they want to ensure their continuing well-being.
Of course, other segments of the population are just as susceptible to the spread of STDs as seniors if not more so, particularly because of the current situation in the state. As a result, no matter who they are, Floridians should make sure to exercise an appropriate level of caution and consideration in regards to their sexual activity in order to protect their sexual health.
Fortunately, so long as residents are willing to put in the time and effort, there is no reason to believe that they will not be able to protect themselves from STDs and other potential threats to their sexual health. STD clinics should be considered an important component of their plans in this regard, partly because of how said institutions can keep them up-to-date on their personal condition and partly because of how said institutions can point them towards other resources for achieving the same purpose. Regardless, what residents and visitors should remember above all is that STDs are a real threat in the state much as they have always been, meaning that they need to pay attention when it comes to protecting themselves. After all, they are their best line of defense against such threats, meaning that they cannot afford to let down their guard.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article56192770.html