Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, access to sexual health services declined significantly in 2020, reflected in a 40% decline in HIV and STI testing in San Francisco. The COVID-19 pandemic challenged us to be more innovative in how to offer these much-needed services. In 2020, San Francisco City Clinic implemented tele-health and express visits to serve as many patients as quickly and safely as possible, and continues to offer low-cost STI testing, diagnosis, and treatment regardless of insurance status. To make sexual health care even more accessible, SFDPH has launched a home HIV/STI testing program, TakeMeHome, which provides San Franciscans with access to FREE HIV and STI screening in the privacy of their own home.
To request a kit through TakeMeHome, users fill out a brief eligibility questionnaire and enter an address where they want the kit to be sent. Eligible users will be sent a discreet package containing swabs, a fingerstick, and a card for collecting their samples, as well as resources and instructions on what to do if they find out their test results are positive
But access to care is not the only barrier to sexual health and wellness. Addressing and confronting stigma is one of our biggest challenges in HIV and STI prevention. To celebrate sex-positivity, health, and wellness in communities of color in San Francisco, the SFDPH STI program, in collaboration with 510Media, launched a new social media campaign on February 16th: Have GOOD Sex. The goal of the campaign is to address the stigma associated with sex and sexuality and create a place for conversations on sexual health and pleasure. With a focus on Black and Latinx San Franciscans ages 18 - 49, and promoted by local influencers, Have GOOD Sex combines social media with social influencers to move with culture and be a part of the conversation. Have GOOD Sex also promotes the TakeMeHome project.
For more information on sexual health and to learn more about SFDPH’s clinic-based sexual health services, visit SF City Clinic.
For the full monthly report this editorial appeared in, please visit Department of Public Health - Research, Health Assessments & Data (sfdph.org) webpage and scroll down to San Francisco Monthly STI Reports.
“I just wanted to say thank you guys for all that you do and the way that you do it :) It means a lot that you all provide a legit friendly, supportive, reliable, non-judgmental environment for us to be able to get the treatment that we need. The fact that we are able to get the standard of medical care that normal people receive means the world to me. Everyone else have no clue most what it’s like to dread going to the doc because of the way that you will be treated or fear of deliberate malpractice and/or incomplete care because of prejudice. So thank you for being awesome and extremely valuable and irreplaceable. In short, you guys are THE SHIT! =) ❤ Pardon my French. With complete gratitude & admiration, you guys R the best, thank you with much luv! ❤”
~ Cristine
Your tax-deductible contribution will help us to continue offering low/no-cost care.
