My not-so-regular-but-often-updated post about local testing options
My last post was a bit confused so I'm reposting what I found out today - mostly for my own benefit but also for anyone else in the Orlando area who is interested in STD testing, particularly for low-income. I like to post this kind of info often for anyone who missed it the last time, to keep everyone educated about our local options and to remind everyone not local to keep up to date with this kind of stuff in their own area.
So there are effectively 3 options for Orlando and 1 decent option for Tampa:
In Tampa, the Hillsborough County clinic charges $30 for HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syhpilis (The Big 4). Pretty good deal, that. Herpes is only available if you are showing symptoms and the Hepatitus vaccine is now available (I assume for an additional charge). Medication or a prescription is offered on site at the time of your visit if needed. You will need to return to get your results in a couple of weeks and they will give a copy of your results to take home with you upon request. They are walk-in only so get there before 10 AM if you want to be seen.
Hillsborough County Health Department
1105 E Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, Florida
Phone (813) 307-8064
In Orlando, you can go to the Orange County Health Department for $45 for The Big 4 with a Hep B vaccine for no cost and a return visit to pick up a copy of your results. They are also walk-in, so get there early. However, their hours have a lunch break, and if you get there at least 30 minutes before they open for their afternoon hours, you have a chance of being seen in the afternoon too. They fill up quickly, though, so make sure you get there early and prepare to wait!
(as an aside, they do not allow you to plug in your laptops and there is no wireless internet signal available in the building, so either bring a good book or extra laptop batteries)
Orange County Health Department
Central Health Clinic
832 W. Central Blvd., Orlando, FL 32805
407.836.2600 Ext. 78161
You can also go to Orlando's Planned Parenthood and pay the following:
$79 - office visit fee / $60 for the STDs and skip the PAP
$20 PAP & Breast exam
$8 chlamydia & gonorreaha
$2 syphilis
$30 herpes
$40 HIV
The good news is that the herpes test is the DNA test, so they told me on the phone today (the more accurate of the tests). The bad news is that this is the most expensive one of all the low-income options. The reason is that, in the state of Florida, PP does not receive government assistance, unlike some other states, such as California. They have flat fees and there is no sliding scale, no donations-only option, no financial aid. But it's still freakin' cheap compared to a private physician. Their offer of the Herpes test, however, makes this a very important option, since the other clinics do not offer it at all.
3403 Technological Ave. Suite 14
Orlando, FL 32817
(321) 235-5513
And finally, you can also go to the Orange County Women's Health Department.
This is slightly different from the county STD clinic mentioned above, although still a government-run facility. They offer the following:
complete physical
PAP
breast exam
gonorrhea
chlamydia
vaginosis
pelvic exam
syphilis
HIV
= $70 total
This info was difficult to find on their website, but an email and a follow-up phone conversation today with Pat Nolen, the Women's Health Program Manager of the Orange County Health Dept. (407-836-2605) gave me these details, as I posted in my previous entry about it.
Their selling point is the complete physical exam in addition to The Big 4 and PAP/breast exam all in one easy visit for one low price. The downside here is no herpes test and possibly a long waiting period before you can schedule your appointment.
You can be classified as "full pay" or you can go through their eligibility process to qualify for the sliding scale which could reduce this cost. You must be interested in "family planning" - so you have to say you want birth control, which is an additional charge.
If you are trying to cut the costs down as much as possible and are not actually interested in birth control, they offer the NuvaRring (a ring you insert into your vagina that releases hormones for 3 weeks, you take out, have your period, put another one in) by prescription, so you will purchase that elsewhere. You could potentially choose this option, recieve the prescription, then just not fill it. Every other birth control option is available there on site and will be an additional charge, depending upon the option and if you qualify for the sliding scale pricing.
Hoffner Location
5449 S. Semoran Blvd., Suite 14-D, Orlando, FL 32822
Dental (Suite 19B) Phone: 407.207.7290
Maternity Phone: 407.207.7757 ext. 321 (this is the number I was instructed to call for an appointment)
WIC Phone: 407.207.7759
Last time I called the Women's clinic, they could not schedule me for a PAP for several months, so I did not take it. I think $70 is quite a reasonable amount for a full woman's health visit with no insurance.
Unfortunately, I also want the Herpes test at this time. Getting the full exam at Planned Parenthood costs $179, but taking the $30 Herpes test + $60 office visit at PP ($90) + a separate trip to the women's clinic ($70) brings the total to $160 for a complete woman's health visit with Herpes test (possibly lower if you qualify for the sliding scale at the woman's clinic). If doing everything in one location is worth an extra $19, then get everything done at PP. But if you're trying to save as much money as possible and the cost of gas doesn't eat up the difference, making two different appointments is slightly cheaper, especially if you qualify for the lower prices at the clinic.
If you just want STD tests, the county clinics for $30 or $45 are the most affordable options. For $140 ($80 + $60 office visit fee) you can get The Big 4 and the Herpes all at once at PP, whereas, getting just the Herpes test alone costs $90 and then going to the clinics for The Big 4 is an additional $45, saving you only $5-$15, then account for gas and a another day of your time, so if you want the Herpes test, it's better to get your other STD tests done at PP at the same time. But if you don't need the Herpes test, the cheaper option is the county clinics for STDs, and if you're a woman and want a PAP, the women's county clinic for PAPs + STD is the most cost effective because everything but Herpes is included.
Here's a chart to make this easier to break down:
Remember, education and awareness of our own sexuality and sexual health status is the only way to minimize health risks to ourselves and our partners when we are sexually active and it is especially important when we have multiple partners. A woman's annual PAP is currently our best defense against cervical cancer unless you have a private physician (and the money) to convince them to give you off-label HPV vaccinations - and even that is only good for the 4 most common strains, not all of them (although I highly recommend doing this if you can at all swing it). Regular breast exams is our best defense against breast cancer and regular STD screening will help catch the spread of these other epidemic illnesses before they spread further. Regular physicals will keep up with all the other ailments, especially since certain forms of oral and throat cancers are now being linked to HPV through oral sex contact.
Keep records of your checkups and include them in your History and Disclosure discussions with your future potential partners. For help with this, I highly recommend downloading and filling out the Sexual History And Disclosure form (originally created by
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serolynne), make a blank copy to give to partners and fill one out for yourself to trade to them for their filled-out form.For a good STD reference website written especially for polyamorists, be sure to check out The InnKeeper's Guide To Poly Safer Sex Issues.
Feel free to repost or link back here, and you don't need my permission, but I'd like to hear about it if you do, just out of my own curiosity.
no subject
Date: 1/21/08 09:15 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 1/21/08 10:06 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 1/21/08 10:44 pm (UTC)From:Yeah, I haven't had the money and have not had a PAP in a couple of years ... a really bad thing to scrimp on. I don't exactly have the money to spare now either, but I'm going anyway because I need to. I'm over 30 and sexually active, I can't afford to be missing PAPs