Chris Chamber Admin.
Join date : 2010-01-30 Location : Oak Park, Michigan Posts : 23201 Rep : 330
| Subject: No more free STD checks as NY cuts back at health clinics Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:34 am | |
| - Quote :
- No more free STD screenings at city health clinics to cut costs
BY Kathleen Lucadamo DAILY NEWS WRITER
Thursday, August 11th 2011, 4:00 AM
The city's free medical clinics are no longer offering STD screenings that are intended to limit the spread of the diseases, the Daily News has learned.
In March, the Health Department quietly stopped routinely giving tests for sexually transmitted diseases to each New Yorker who goes to its clinics. The agency cited budgetary constraints as the reason for the change.
"The vast majority, more than 90%, of screening visits had no infection detected, yet cost the agency in excess of $400,000 a year," said agency spokeswoman Chanel Caraway.
The city clinics will still offer tests to patients who have STD "symptoms or [are] at high risk for infection," and they will also do HIV testing, said Caraway.
At the same time, city health officials are also redirecting most people in need of an STD test to privately run community clinics. "Routine screening is best managed in a primary care setting," Caraway said.
Roughly 82,000 New Yorkers were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease last year, up from 75,000 in 2008, Health Department stats show. STDs include chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, and common symptoms are genital sores and pain during urination. | |
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Nystyle709 ...is a 20G Chamber DIETY.
Join date : 2010-03-16 Location : New York Posts : 27030 Rep : 339
| Subject: Re: No more free STD checks as NY cuts back at health clinics Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:55 am | |
| Detrimental. But....all you have to do is claim you have symptoms and get tested. So I hope that's what people will do. | |
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CeCe …is a Chamber DEITY.
Join date : 2010-06-30 Posts : 11962 Rep : 326
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Shale ...is a Chamber Royal.
Join date : 2010-09-27 Location : Miami Beach Posts : 9699 Rep : 219
| Subject: Re: No more free STD checks as NY cuts back at health clinics Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:06 am | |
| "Penny Wise and Pound Foolish" is an apt response to this. How much more will the indigent care be for the spread to others of a preventable STD. | |
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| Subject: Re: No more free STD checks as NY cuts back at health clinics | |
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