HIV and STD Testing and Prevention
by 26Health Staff
HIV and STD Testing and Prevention
You hear the word and start to get nervous or feel the need to study. But at 26Health when the term testing is used you can relax and be greeted by our Patient Care Center team.
The testing team led by, Fred Cotto-Lewis, is made up of certified HIV and STD testers that are trained to guide you through the testing process as painlessly as possible. With our team, you’ll barely feel any discomfort (except maybe for a few cheesy jokes here and there).
26Health offers free HIV, Hep C, Syphilis, and other STD testing. However, during COVID-19, our testing process is a little different. Pre-pandemic our doors were wide open Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM. As we are enduring the pandemic together, and for the health and safety of all our patients, providers, and staff, our testing is now by appointment only.
Let’s walk you through the journey of an HIV test:
Once you have an appointment you will fill out some paperwork and your HIV test will begin. We use the Chembio rapid test, a test conducted through a quick finger prick. Your finger is pricked and 15 minutes later you should have your results.
If your test comes back HIV negative we will encourage you to begin taking PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. It’s the use of anti-HIV medication such as PrEP that keeps HIV negative people from becoming HIV positive. PrEP is safe and has been approved by the FDA. When taken daily it is highly effective at stopping the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus. And, through our partnership with Mistr your 26Health prescribed PrEP can be discretely and privately delivered to your door.
It is important to note HIV is no longer a death sentence and you can live a normal life with the virus. If you do test HIV positive, we are here for you. You will meet with one of our providers who will go over all the treatment options with you. Our goal is to get you to an undetectable status as soon as possible.
At 26Health we make testing a breeze!
So don’t stress out and call us at 321-800-2922 to schedule your test today and get PrEPared for tomorrow!
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