Some posting here have mentioned getting insurance to cover the cost of std testing.
I'm not sure that's always a good idea - if a test comes back positive, doesn't that become part of your health record with them?
I would recommend getting tested anonymously whenever possible, and if you can't afford to pay for the tests, get them done at a clinic that offers free testing or sliding scale. Then make as generous a donation as you can to the clinic.
But definitely get tested somehow somewhere whenever you think you might need it. The women's health clinic in the Los Angeles area at Coldwater and Saticoy? (or is it at Vanowen?) tells me that they now get HIV test results in about 20 minutes. Which spares you what used to be an agonizing several days or longer wait. And the hiv tests are always anonymous. just walk in and get a number.
I'm not sure that's always a good idea - if a test comes back positive, doesn't that become part of your health record with them?
I would recommend getting tested anonymously whenever possible, and if you can't afford to pay for the tests, get them done at a clinic that offers free testing or sliding scale. Then make as generous a donation as you can to the clinic.
But definitely get tested somehow somewhere whenever you think you might need it. The women's health clinic in the Los Angeles area at Coldwater and Saticoy? (or is it at Vanowen?) tells me that they now get HIV test results in about 20 minutes. Which spares you what used to be an agonizing several days or longer wait. And the hiv tests are always anonymous. just walk in and get a number.
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Los Angeles
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Re: High costs vs anonymous testing
Thu, December 13, 2007 - 10:57 AMI'm going to have to look into either home test kits or free testing since even though I have insurance (for the time being anyway, that will change soon) and I'm supposedly in the "high risk" category since I'm a bisexual man I still got raped with insurance! -
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Re: High costs vs anonymous testing
Tue, January 1, 2008 - 7:37 PMIn San Francisco , one of the places I test at Magnet, does free STD/HIV Testing, hep shots too.
They do take donations.
Even as a test counselor, I got tested once by my Doc, and it felt weird to do it there.
I perfer clinics.
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Re: High costs vs anonymous testing
Thu, December 13, 2007 - 2:10 PMI'm not sure if this is available everywhere, but Planned Parenthood in my area has FamPact which allows people to get STI testing on a donation basis! Even folks with insurance can sign up for FamPact, just don't tell them you have insurance! Because if you do they will charge you up the yin yang. I think other health clinic also offer FamPact, you may wish to look around. -
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Re: High costs vs anonymous testing
Fri, December 14, 2007 - 7:37 AMUm,
Stating you don't have insurance when you have it is considered Fraud, and I would not recommend doing that.
However, if you need confidentiality for whatever reason on your SOFP form when you fill it out, then your testing is usually covered - I say usually because I don't work in the front office at Planned Parenthood, I work with patients.
HIV tests are not expensive anyway- PP has the rapid test, which take 10 minutes (I know because I actually do these every day).
Gonorrhea and Chlamydia tests are more expensive because they're DNA amplification, and if you're privately paying they run from $20 apiece to $45 apiece.
Syphilis is a really cheap test, regardless. It's a blood draw.
HSV testing has dropped in price here in Sac, don't know about the Bay area.
Even if you have to pay, it's worth it, and if you need confidentiality, people understand that.
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Re: High costs vs anonymous testing
Fri, December 14, 2007 - 12:02 PMyou guys do hsv testing? i thought no one did that anymore? -
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Re: High costs vs anonymous testing
Fri, December 14, 2007 - 7:31 PMPP does, through Quest Diagnostics, at least in Sacramento. They do an IgG test for both HSV 1 and HSV 2. There is also a rapid culture method available if you think you are having an outbreak, but that's not always accurate - ie it could be that nothing is isolated but it doesn't mean you're negative.
That's all I know. -
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Re: High costs vs anonymous testing
Sat, December 15, 2007 - 3:38 PMhmmm...we do the cultures and the blood test is mainly done (i think?) if there's an outbreak to determine whether or not it's primary infection
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Re: High costs vs anonymous testing
Mon, December 17, 2007 - 11:20 AMThank you for mentioning that. I'm honestly not trying to get anyone in trouble. My point was just that if money/fear of documentation is a barrier to getting tested that there was an alternative option. however thank you again for bringing this up. The last thing I want to do is make things worse for anyone!
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