Same Day STD Testing

As I have grown up I have had to start taking an interest in my own health. What use to be as simple as telling my mom “I don’t feel good” has now morphed into me getting my own insurance, having to hunt down a decent doctor and call different places to get referrals to women’s health clinics. What may be the worst thing about taking charge of my own health is making, sometimes awkward, appointment to get checked for STD’s.

Same Day STD Testing is a nonprofit organization that tries to relieve the awkwardness of being screened. Same Day offers a cheap and fast ways to get tested for HIV, herpes, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and hepatitis. Their goal is to make sure that affordable testing is offered around the country and done quickly if a person believes they have an STD and needs treatment.

Friday, March 12, I decided to get screened at the Same Day STD Testing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona in front of Casa Grande Regional Medical Hospital. I set-up the appointment over the phone and was given a 4pm appointment time.

I think what difficult about walking into this facility is the perception that you are somehow dirty because you want to be screened. No matter what when you walk in, the nurse and doctors all know you have had sex and while for some, it’s just a fact of life, for others it’s a bit shameful.

I walked into the little office and filled out the normal paperwork. After that I was escorted right away by a nurse who took my vitals and counseled me on my personal risk factors for contracting an STD. Because I am a woman, under the age of 25 and a long term-monogamous relationship, I have a high risk of contracting Chlamydia, HPV and hepatitis. If I didn’t use condoms I would be at a high risk for all sexually transmitted dieses and HIV.

After the counseling session it took 20 minutes for them to collect a mouth swab and take a blood sample. Even though I am not a high risk for all the STD’s I decided to get tested for everything because it had been two years since my first screening.  Within the hour I had results of my STD testing and in one-week I will have the results of my HIV test.

The interesting thing about Same Day is that even though I waited in the office to get my lab done, I am able to call their hotline and get my results over the phone. This is different than most places that will only mail test or require another visit.

Same Day does take some insurance plans to cover the cost; they also offer a sliding scale so you can pay based on income. It is very important that we all at one point in time get tested because we risking spreading a disease that we may be unaware we posse. If you would like to find a Same Day STD Testing center near you then call 1-800-805-7837.