Yellowhammer Times

The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has renewed the STD/HIV home specimen collection kit program for 2023. The ADPH Division of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention and Control has partnered with BINX Health to offer residents STD/HIV home specimen collection kits by mail.

The purpose of the initiative is to promote STD/HIV sample collection and laboratory-based testing among individuals at home to strengthen the STD/HIV prevention and control program in Alabama. One in two sexually active young people will get an STD before age 25, and most will not be aware of it. Home sample collection and laboratory-based testing allow people to test for a sexually transmitted infection or HIV, find out their result in their own home or other private location, and be connected to care as appropriate. This program has helped increase awareness of STD/HIV infection for people who would not otherwise get tested and has reached persons most affected.

Specimen collection kits are mailed to the patient’s home and contain supplies to collect urine, swab samples, or blood from a fingerstick. The kit is then mailed to the lab in a prepaid envelope. Results are returned to the clinician who follows up accordingly. This laboratory-conducted test is sensitive enough to detect HIV infection within 2-3 weeks of exposure.

Specific information about requesting a test, test results, treatment and follow-up is available at adph.mybinxhealth.com

ADPH operates free, confidential STD clinics statewide. To find the closest clinic near you, contact your nearest county health department.

Original source can be found here.