Preferred Location: 920 Lark Drive Albany,NY 12207 Arbor Hill Change location
SaferSTD Preferred Location: 920 Lark Drive Albany,NY 12207 Arbor Hill Change Location
The city faces an especially high STD prevalence across the Northeast area. Statewide there was a rate of 552.8 for chlamydia and 146.5 for gonorrhea per 100,000 residents.
In 2016 there were reported: 2,875 cases of HIV, 179 cases of Hepatitis C, 103 cases of Hepatitis B, 99 cases of Hepatitis A, 2,455 cases of syphilis, 109,433 cases of chlamydia, and 29,000 cases of gonorrhea. Compared to the reported statistics from 2015, only HIV and Hepatitis A rates saw any kind of decrease across the two years.
Albany County accounted for 459 cases of gonorrhea, 24 cases of HIV, and 60 cases of early stage syphilis in 2016.
In response, health professionals are calling for more widely offered and standardized STD testing, as well as the distribution of free condoms and needles to prevent further spread of these diseases. Free STD testing is something else health officials are pushing for, though it is still not readily available.
In Albany you can find testing services at Whitney Young Health on Lark Drive, the Albany County Department of Health on Green Street, and at the Pride Center of the Capital Region on Hudson Avenue.
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.
Alliance for Positive Health is a community organization that promotes the lives of PLWHA and those who are affected by HIV infections. For decades, the facility has been providing information to community members to help them make informed health choices. The facility offers medical services, including STD/HIV testing, treatment, and prevention, case management, behavioral health education, and LGBTQ services.
Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center provides primary medical care services to the greater Albany area. The facility strives to enhance the quality of life of residents by offering accessible and affordable health care services. Its medical team delivers several health services, such as STD/HIV testing, pregnancy, and dental care.
Planned Parenthood - Albany Health Center is a reliable medical facility that delivers quality reproductive health care and sexual education to the people of Albany, New York. The clinic has a team of medical experts who are skilled in providing STD/HIV testing, treatment, and vaccination, birth control, pregnancy screening, LGBTQ care, women's and men's health care services.
Albany County Health Department enhances the health of its community members by providing affordable and accessible health care services. It has qualified health care practitioners who offer a wide range of services, including STD/HIV testing, treatment, and counseling, vaccination, and dental health care.
Urgent Care - OrthoNY, LLC is a premier medical facility that provides quality health care service to communities in Albany, NY. The clinic has qualified medical practitioners who treat minor injuries and illnesses, including STDs, coughs, headaches, sinuses, flu, burns, and cold. The waiting time at the clinic is less than 10 minutes.
St. Peter's Urgent Care โ Albany is a nonprofit network providing quality, comprehensive, and advanced health care services in a patient-friendly environment.
The clinic has board-certified health practitioners who have several years of experience in treating minor injuries and illnesses that are not life-threatening. They also offer STD/HIV screenings and treatment, foreign body removal, pregnancy testing, and tetanus immunization services.
Call our Expert Care Advisors at
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: Community Based Organization. Grant funded, and therefore; services are free of charge.
Description: Public Health Department/Social Services Department. Anyone 12 years of age or older, who is a resident of Albany County, or is a student attending college in Albany County, is eligible to be seen in the STD clinic. Please bring a picture ID and proof of address, and proof of insurance, if available. MPox Clinic: Mon.-Fri.,9am-3pm. No appointment needed. STD clinic: Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Need an appointment
Description: Walk-in HIV/HCV testing hours are Mon.-Fri., 8am-4pm
Show only locations where you can easily book your test online.
Description: Community Based Organization. All HIV testing is free but is only offered to those with designated risk factors. Please call ahead to find out about the criteria for free testing.
Description: Hospital. Services for youth ages 13-24. If you are over the age of 23, call 518-262-6923 for information about PrEP.
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: Social Service Organization. If you are uninsured, you may qualify for a state-funded program or a lower fee scale. Please bring the following documents: birth certificate or passport, 4 most recent weeks' pay stubs, official photo ID, proof of New York State residence. Teen walk-in clinic Thurs., 3:00pm-6:00pm
Description: Services open to the general public but need to enroll as a patient.
Description: Public Health Department/Social Services Department. HIV/STD testing: Wednesday by appt. only
Description: Hep C testing for IV drug users. Primarily serve females, but will treat their male partners as needed. Scheduling phone line open 8am-7pm M-F
Description: Services open to the general public but need to enroll as a patient.
The capital city is not only seeing the number of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea incidents increasing, but Syphilis and HIV diagnoses are also increasing in frequency. From 2011 to 2016 the rate for HIV increased from 404 to 430. The statistics also show that this potentially deadly virus is affecting residents off all ages and ethnicities.
Even though some of these rates were expected to be high in teens and young adults, they were surprised by the growing number of chronic Hepatitis B incidents. In 2014 there were 77 cases reported, and since this disease is easy to spread these numbers are expected to rise.
Syphilis incidents are increasing in older men, and this also means that they are at risk for contracting the other STDs. With the number of reported cases rising it is important that everyone understands how important regular STD testing is for good sexual health.
Top STD Testing Locations in Albany, NY
Primary Item (H2)Both insured and uninsured individuals at high risk of STI/HIV infectionS and have no access to their medical provider are welcome at the facility for free and confidential STD/HIV testing.
Alliance for Positive Health has a white medical transportation program that offers transportation services to PLWHA to enable them to access medical care. The facility provides various preventive measures, including PrEP and condoms, to persons at substantial risk of infection. Housing services are also available to homeless HIV positive persons.
927 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207, USA
Individuals are eligible for STD/HIV testing, and no person is denied medical care. The facility requires patients to schedule an appointment and arrive 15 minutes earlier. They may also be requird to carry their previous medication and insurance card. Moreover, the facility accepts numerous insurance plans, including co-pays, and provides a sliding fee scale to self-pay individuals based on their income.
Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center has a HIPAA compliant patient portal that provides individuals with secure and easy access to their medical records and allows them to communicate with their physicians. The facility also uses social media apps for advertising outreach events and interacting with patients. It also has a mobile unit that delivers health care services to communities in remote areas.
920 Lark Dr, Albany, NY 12207, USA
The facility accepts Medicare and Medicaid and allows self-pay clients to clear their hospital bills using cash, checks, and credit cards. It also offers a sliding fee scale to self-pay people based on their income.
Planned Parenthood - Albany Health Center has an easy to use website that allows patients to access health information without visiting the facility. The clinic's website also offers online support and chat rooms to enable patients to connect with others sharing a similar condition. Additionally, it provides translational services to patients not proficient in English.
855 Central Ave, Albany, NY 12206, USA
Individuals aged 12 years and above are eligible for STD/HIV testing, and the hospital provides medical assistance (Medicaid) to low-income persons who cannot afford to pay their medical bills. Additionally, a sliding fee scale is available foe uninsured persons.
Albany County Health Department conducts outreach events to provide the community with health education and basic screenings. The clinic offers free condoms and lubes to reduce the rate of STD/HIV infections across the county. Additionally, Its user-friendly website offers the general public with vital health information to individuals.
175 Green St, Albany, NY 12202, USA
People visiting the clinic can receive STD/HIV testing and treatment, but new patients are required to have their insurance card, a list of their current medication, health records from a prior visit, and a photo ID. The facility accepts most health insurance plans, including Medicare, Aetna, Blue Cross, Humana, Tricare, and United Health care.
Urgent Care - OrthoNY, LLC has language translators who help individuals whose primary language is not English to receive medical care. Patients may take advantage of the clinic's pharmacy to receive low-cost drugs and consult with the pharmacists.
121 Everett Rd, Albany, NY 12205, USA
Individuals can access STD/HIV services regardless of their insurance status. The clinic accepts several health insurance plans, including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, CIGNA, PPO, Medicaid, and Medicare. Moreover, the clinicโs financial counselor helps to enroll uninsured persons to affordable health plans.
St. Peter's Urgent Care โ Albany is open seven days a week, and its physicians ensure patients do not wait for long to receive medical care. The clinic is situated at the heart of the city, which provides people with easy accessibility. It also offers financial aid for people who are not able to clear the medical bills.
400 Patroon Creek Blvd, Albany, NY 12206, USA
In 2012 an independent study found that the sex education programs currently being offered in the public school systems do not contain the information students need to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases.
The study also found that the information included varies in the schools, and that it is not always pertinent to the problems teens are facing nor is it accurate. This is putting studentsโ health at risk and that of their families. One public school has even excluded all mentions of female genitalia from its sex education program choosing to refer to it as a โsperm depositโ instead.
While some parents and educators do find this degrading, currently there are not any steps being taken to change the way sex education is handled in the cityโs schools.
Students are encouraged to practice abstinence, and it is not uncommon for educators to make those who are sexually active feel ashamed and embarrassed. Since the proper use of contraceptives is not covered in the programs, most teens are unaware of any risks or dangers their behavior might be putting them in. When all of this is combined it is not hard to see why the STD rate among teens and young adults is so high in the capital city.
The current sex education programs also do not cover the importance of regular Herpes testing in Albany, even though the virus is increasing in frequency in the public schools. Regular HIV testing in Albany is also not discussed, and many health officials are blaming this on the increasing number of residents who are contracting the disease each year.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/09/14/849911/study-new-york-sex-education/
The main contributing factor is the lack of available information, along with the fact that some of it is not even accurate. Very few schools include any information on the importance or proper use of contraceptives, and discussions on regular testing is excluded from the programs. Some do not even employ medically accurate terms, and this often leads to confusion among students.
Many teens do not even realize that their behavior is putting their sexual health at risk. Since most teens and young adults do not even know how STDs are spread the health of those around them is also at risk.
In the last few years the state and capital city have also been forced to cut funding that was earmarked for community clinics and health centers. The clinics that are still open frequently have long lines and this can make it difficult for residents to find time in their busy schedules to spend the day at the clinic.
Instead of worrying, you can get same day testing and results at many STI clinics scattered around Albany. The environment is discreet, and your privacy will be protected. Easy and affordable, even for residents with no-insurance, once your finished it’ll feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.
Each page below contains a detailed report of the local area, location STD statistics and clinic reviews of some the top STD testing locations. The content is curated by our very own editors and medical experts.