I/O
You Can Now Order STI Tests Online to Take in the Comfort of Your Own Home
Telemedicine companies think the onerous process of in-office testing dissuades patients
Back in my college days, I was a volunteer at GHAP, Columbia University’s queer health program — and, more specifically, the wing of the student health center that was responsible for providing HIV testing and education. As part of my volunteer work, I provided counseling to students prior to their HIV tests, chatting with them about their sexual histories and identities, their behaviors and choices, and potential strategies for risk reduction.
The counseling I did was part of New York state’s legal requirements for HIV testing, which mandate counseling prior to receiving the test. But it was also representative of the dominant mode of thinking at the time about reproductive and sexual health care. HIV testing, along with other STI testing and sexual health care services, was seen as a prime opportunity to connect with people who might otherwise be disconnected from the health care system. Once you’d gotten them through the clinic doors, the thinking went, you could connect them to education and prevention resources, as well as take time to chat about their behavior and encourage risk reduction. Without that in-person…
