High Rates Illustrate Demand for STI/HIV Testing and Care
Texas Health Action’s Kind Clinic Community Health Program and walk-in testing center provided nearly 11,000 patient visits for walk-in STI/HIV testing last year, according to the organization’s 2023 Central Texas Community Health Report. The report shows a continued demand for STI testing and treatment through Kind Clinic’s Community Health Program, with a positivity rate of about 1-in-5 patients testing reactive to an STI, similar to 2022.
Culturally Affirming Community Health Programs
Kind Clinic, a program of Texas Health Action, offers healthcare in a nonjudgmental and supportive environment with expertise in serving the LGBTQIA+ community. All STI testing and treatment services provided through Kind Clinic’s Community Health Program are available at no cost to patients.
“Texas Health Action continues to deliver essential services to Central Texans most impacted by STIs and HIV, the majority of whom are between 18 and 34 years old, with disparities amongst people of color. That we still see about 1-in-5 people test positive for an STI highlights the ongoing need for funding and support for community STI testing and treatment to curb STI infections in Central Texas. This age group remains the highest amongst any other group, mirroring the national rise in STI transmissions,” Christopher Hamilton, chief executive officer of Texas Health Action, said. “Black and Latinx men are disproportionately impacted by HIV/STIs and significantly utilize Kind Clinic for testing and treatment, underscoring the continued need for community health programs that provide culturally affirming spaces.”
Kind Clinic’s Central Texas Community Health Report found the majority of positive STI tests conducted through the community health program included chlamydia (44.54%) and gonorrhea (43.58%), followed by syphilis (9.73%), HIV (1.8%) and hepatitis C (0.26%). Among those who tested positive for syphilis, 52% were Black and Latinx men who have sex with men (MSM). While Black residents make up about 9% of Travis County’s population, Black MSM represented 18% of Kind Clinic’s syphilis diagnoses.
Testing Is Only Part of the Solution
“Testing is important for individuals to know their status, however that’s just half of the equation. Access to timely, accessible treatment is essential for the health of our community as well,” Steven Tamayo, director of community health for THA, said “Kind Clinic’s Walk-in Testing has registered nurses and treatment options on-site, giving us the ability to provide 37% of patients with same-day treatment.”
Among the 1,974 individuals who tested positive for STIs in 2023, 93.69% received treatment at Kind Clinic, highlighting the organization’s ability to diagnose and curb new transmissions with timely access to treatment. Kind Clinic aims for all patients diagnosed with HIV to be linked directly to care and see a medical provider within 72 hours (3 days), which is well above the federal benchmark of 1 month (30 days).
To read and download the Kind Clinic’s Central Texas Community Health Report, please visit: https://kindclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Texas-Health-Action_Kind-Clinic_2023_Community-Health-Report.pdf
