Medicine:Sexual health clinic
Sexual health clinics specialize in the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.
Terminology
Sexual health clinics are also called sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics, sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics, venereal disease (VD) clinics, or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics.[citation needed]
Sexual health clinics differ from reproductive health and family planning clinics. Sexual health clinics offer only some reproductive health services. Reproductive health clinics, such as Planned Parenthood, offer most of the services of sexual health clinics.[citation needed]
Services
Sexual health clinics provide some or all of the following:[citation needed]
- Information about safer sex, birth control, reproductive health and general sex education
- Free condoms
- Sexual health examinations
- Tests to detect some sexually transmitted infections
- Antibiotics to cure chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis
- Medications and other treatments
- Vaccinations
- Counseling and therapy
- Emergency contraception
- Urine test for pregnancy
- Referrals for additional information or services
Many clinics provide vaccinations to prevent infections from the hepatitis A and B viruses.[1] Young women may receive vaccinations to prevent infection from some strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV).[citation needed]
Many clinics provide interpreting for the hearing impaired or speakers of other languages.[citation needed]
Many clinics will help patients tell their sexual contacts if they have a sexually transmitted infection, anonymously if needed.[2]
Public governmental and non-profit clinics often provide services for free or adjust the fee based on a patient's ability to pay. Sexual health clinics often offer services without appointments. Some clinics open evenings or weekends. Some clinics have separate hours or facilities for men and women. Some clinics serve only specific populations such as women, men, MSM, youths, LGBT, ethnic groups, the poor, or students.[citation needed]
Examinations
With the patient's consent, a clinician will inspect the patient visually and by touch. If needed, the clinician will take samples to test for sexually transmitted infections.[citation needed]
In a private room or space, the patient will partially undress.[citation needed]
The clinician may inspect the patient's:[citation needed]
- Throat and lymph nodes of the neck for inflammation
- Pubic hair for lice
- Lymph nodes of the groin for swelling
- Genitals, anus, and surrounding areas for sores and warts
The clinician may swab the patient's:
- Throat to test for gonorrhea and possibly chlamydia
- Cheek, inside, to diagnose HIV
- Sores of the genitals, anus, and surrounding areas to test for herpes[3]
- Urethra to test for gonorrhea and possibly chlamydia
- Vagina to test for chlamydia and possibly gonorrhea
- Cervix to test for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (a Pap test)
- Rectum to test for gonorrhea and possibly chlamydia
The clinician may take small blood samples by pricking a finger or from a vein[4] to test for HIV, syphilis, and possibly herpes[5] and hepatitis C.[6][7][8]
The clinician may ask for a small urine sample, given in private, to test for chlamydia and possibly gonorrhea. The inspections and taking samples do not hurt, but swabbing the urethra and cervix, and a finger prick blood sample feel uncomfortable. Women will often receive a pelvic exam, both external and internal, but usually less thorough than a reproductive health exam. A patient can choose a female or male clinician if available. A patient can have a chaperone. Some clinics have separate hours or facilities for men and women.[citation needed]
Privacy
Medical confidentiality is an important part of the medical ethics of a doctor–patient relationship. Sexual health clinics follow local standards of medical confidentiality to protect the privacy of patients. Some clinics provide anonymous services or protect confidentiality by having a patient use a number or a pseudonym.[9]
Additional privacy protections sometimes apply to matters of sexuality and reproduction, since these areas are sensitive in many cultures. The diagnosis of HIV/AIDS has legal restrictions in patient confidentiality, and some clinics use rapid antibody tests to provide results to a patient within 30 minutes, without holding the patient's records.[citation needed]
In the United States, clinics receiving federal funding from Medicaid or Title X of the Public Health Service Act must treat all patients confidentially. Thus minors can receive services without parental notification or consent.[10][11][12] Additionally, medical records for all patients age 18 and above are strictly confidential under HIPAA.[13]
Consent
Medical standards of informed consent apply to sexual health clinics. A patient needs information about the purposes and consequences of examinations, tests, treatments, and other procedures. A patient may then choose whether to consent to these procedures.[citation needed]
A minor may consent to receive some or all of the procedures at many sexual health clinics.[citation needed]
References
- ↑ "What I need to know about Hepatitis B - How can I protect myself?". National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. December 2006. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hepb_ez/index.htm#7.
- ↑ "inSPOT - About this site". Internet Sexuality Information Services. http://www.inspot.org/portal-about.aspx. "Notify everyone you've had sex with in the past six months."
- ↑ "Herpes Viral Culture of Lesion". UCSF Medical Center. 2007-12-03. http://www.ucsfhealth.org/adult/adam/data/003739.html.
- ↑ Pruett, Saralyn; Daly, Myra (2001-08-27). "Tips on Blood Testing". American Association for Clinical Chemistry. http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/testtips/bloodtips.html.
- ↑ "Learn About Herpes > Testing - Introduction to blood tests". American Social Health Association. http://www.ashastd.org/herpes/herpes_learn_testing.cfm#2.
- ↑ "Hepatitis Virus Test or Panel". UCSF Medical Center. 2007-11-01. http://www.ucsfhealth.org/adult/adam/data/003558.html.
- ↑ "Hepatitis C (HCV) > Questions & Answers - Testing/Diagnosis". American Social Health Association. http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_hepatitisC.cfm#5.
- ↑ "Hepatitis C". American Association for Clinical Chemistry. 2005-12-16. http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis_c/glance.html.
- ↑ "What Happens When You Visit Our STD Clinic?". Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. http://www.cuphd.org/stdclinic2.html. "Show Your ID"
- ↑ "Forced Parental Involvement Defeats the Goals of the Title X Program". The Center for Reproductive Rights. January 2004. http://www.reproductiverights.org/pub_fac_titlex.html.
- ↑ Friedman, Deborah (2007-06-12). "America's Family Planning Program: Title X". Planned Parenthood Federation of America. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/birth-control/family-planning-6553.htm.
- ↑ "History of Title X". National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association. http://www.nfprha.org/main/about_us.cfm?Category=Title_X.
- ↑ Stevens, Sara. "STD Health Clinics" (in en). STDAware. https://www.stdaware.com/stds/std-health-clinics.
External links
United States
- "National HIV and STD Testing Resources". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). https://gettested.cdc.gov/. "Find a Testing Site Near You"
- "Health Center Search Results". Planned Parenthood Federation of America. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center. "Find a Health Center"
- "Health Center Directory". National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association. http://www.nfprha.org/main/about_us.cfm?Category=Member_Clinic_Directory. "Search for a health center near you"
- "US STD Care locations". STD Support Group. http://www.pozgroup.com/STD_clinics. "Find a STD Care Location Near You"
United Kingdom
- "Sexual Health Clinic London". Sexual Health Clinic. https://www.sexualhealthclinic.london. "GUM Clinic"
- "BASHH Clinics". British Association for Sexual Health and HIV. http://www.bashh.org/clinics. "Find your nearest clinic"
- "STI Clinic London". STI Clinic. https://www.sticlinic.london. "sexual health clinic"
- "Genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics". Terrence Higgins Trust. https://www.tht.org.uk/centres-and-services. "Find your nearest clinic"
- "Find help in your area". RU Thinking site?. http://www.multimap.com/clients/places.cgi?client=ruthink_01. "Find your nearest STI clinic"
- "Find services - Sexual health". National Health Service. https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/other-services/Sexual-health-information-and-support/LocationSearch/734. (England)
- "Clinic List". Willy Nilly. http://www.willynilly.org.uk/clinics.asp. "Contraception and Sexual Health Clinics" (Wales)
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