NYC and the STD Clinic Clean, Discreet and Affordable

What do you think of when you hear the words STD clinic? Do you think about some dark, cobwebbed NYC den of inequity staffed by lazy-eyed staff mumbling to themselves quietly? Do you picture it like an old NYC Time Square peepshow but with a crazy doctor holding rusty pliers and a blood-smeared smock instead of a unattractive “dancer.” We hope not. Things have changed a bit (a lot!) in the last hundred and fifty years. These days an STD center is clean, spacious, professional and discreet. Some are even run by board-certified medical doctors. You know, doctors. Real live went-to-medical-school doctors. Go figure.

Hopefully anyone engaging in sexual activity realizes that your average STD center in the city is an above-board run medical facility just like all the other respected medical facilities in NYC. If you have a negative view of these places erase it from your mind and understand how important it is to get to one of these clinics in order to finally find out where you stand in regard to infectious diseases.

There are over twenty five separate diseases, sicknesses and illnesses that can be classified as a STD. With numbers this high, one must realize that they are not above becoming infected with one. Many of us—especially at the beginning of our sexual history—do things that perhaps we shouldn’t have. We take ridiculous chances that can result in disease and pregnancy. The statistics for NYC when it comes to disease and pregnancy are higher than in the rest of the country.

In fact, it is approximated that one in four people in NYC have the herpes virus. This is an incredibly high number. It only through the administering of tests at a certified STD clinic that these numbers will eventually go down as opposed to seemingly climb year after year.

One should understand that STD testing these days is quick, mostly painless, and more importantly for some, easily affordable by each and every citizen of NYC. Even you are down on your luck, chances are you haven’t stopped engaging in sexual activity—and that’s another reason why getting yourself to a medical center still makes sense.

Let’s take a look at a few STDs and their testing methods in order to prove to you that getting yourself to a clinic will be a painless and quick experience:

HIV/AIDS

HIV is determined through a simple blood test. This can be done at any NYC STD clinic.

CHLAMYDIA

The urine test is commonly used to determine if you currently have a chlamydia infection. This chlamydia testing can be done at any NYC STD clinic.

GENITAL WARTS

These can be diagnosed by the doctor’s naked eye. This test can be done at any NYC STD clinic.

HEPATITIS B

Once again a simple blood test is used to determine if you are infected. This can be done at any NYC STD clinic.

HERPES

Again, simple blood test, very affordable. This can be done at any NYC STD clinic.

SYPHILIS

Blood syphilis testing once again is used.

GONORRHEA

The urine test. It doesn’t get any less painful than this.

Since you are in NYC already, log onto Herpes testing NYC. They are a great, clean, spacious, discreet certified STD clinic run by a board-certified doctor and are located just blocks from Grand Central Station. Call 1-212-696-5900 to make an appointment today. NYC STD testing doesn’t come any cleaner and more discreet than STD Center of NYC.

Testing For Herpes? The Infection Rate Will Shock You! How To Protect Yourself From Herpes 1 and 2

There seems to be no stopping the health problems that may arise once you begin having sex. We’re not referring to sex that happens between a man and woman, happily married and newly experimenting with carnal pleasures. No, we’re referring to the other ninety nine percent of Americans, who seem to begin engaging in sexual activity way before their honeymoon, and therefore need a place to go for help once the inevitable health problems arise. After all, there are a whole bunch of problems that can arise. No one said this premarital sex thing was going to be easy. Far from it. From HIV to Herpes 2 just about anything can happen.

For the most part, medical professionals are not into dictating morals. No, medical professionals mainly attempt to heal when they can. Sure, they can also preach until they’re blue in the face, but thankfully they tend to do what they do best and don’t stick their noses in a person’s personal choices. You may notice a trend toward the opposite these days, but these individuals have always been on the scene, making noise where they shouldn’t be. So for the sake of this argument, uhm… article, we will accept the medical profession as they would like to be identified: as caring, discreet professionals who want to help you stay healthy, or heal—but not tell you what is right and wrong. One of their main points is the importance of undergoing HSV 2 testing.

What is this Herpes 2 we’ve brought up twice now? Herpes 2 is more commonly known as HSV2 or genital herpes. There are actually many more strains of the herpes virus than two. These other types of the herpes virus include Chicken Pox and Shingles. Yep, Herpes seem to be with us our entire life cycle, from young to old. For the most part, however, when people refer to herpes they are usually referring to either Herpes 1 or Herpes 2. Testing is available for all the strains.

Herpes 1 is more commonly known as oral herpes. These are your run-of-the-mill cold sores. Many of us have the virus in our bodies at this very moment. We don’t need to undergo testing to know if we get cold sores, do we? Believe it or not, the current statistics indicate that one in four Americans are already infected with HSV 1. One in four? Isn’t that way, way, way too high? Perhaps it will make you feel better to know that current infection rates of Herpes 2—or genital herpes—is only one in five. When you climb back up off of the floor we’ll continue the article… We’ll wait…. Take your time…

That’s right, folks, one in five Americans are currently infected with genital herpes or Herpes 2. This is a whopping number, but indicates clearly the power of a virus to spread through a populace—and why testing is so important. If one goes to an STD doctor for testing and finds that they are positive for the virus, common sense dictates that a majority of these people will practice safe sex more than they would have had they either been negative for Herpes 2 or not known they were infected with Herpes 2. If all Americans currently engaging in sexual activity underwent testing and found out their Herpes 2 status, genital herpes infection rates could be lowered in a relatively short time.

Herpes 2 testing is a painless procedure that consists solely of a simple blood test. We’ve all had these needles before. As bad as they are to think about, if we just close our eyes when we are about to be pricked we know it isn’t all that bad. The medical profession implores all Americans currently engaging in any type if sexual activity to get to a certified STD clinic and undergo herpes testing. Test for Herpes 2—and while you are there, test for one or two other STDs you may feel you have been exposed to.

If you live in New York City, look no further than herpes testing in Manhattan. This highly regarded certified STD clinic is staffed by a great doctor who is friendly, caring and one hundred percent discreet. NYC STD testing center accepts most insurance and offers a very affordable pricing list for those who are not currently covered. Call 1-212-696-5900 to make an appointment today. There are weekend and extended weekday appointments available. Time for testing!

A call to NYC Youth: Invest in STD Testing

In nearly all studies surveying sexual activity in adolescents the statistics show that “inner city youth” are at a substantially higher risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease than any other group in the country. Meaning that if you are between the ages of 13 and 21 and live anywhere in NYC, either the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn or Staten Island, you are at a higher risk than most “middle” American youths of getting some kind of sexual infections.  Which is why if you do live here, are sexually active and under 21 years old, you should be looking into STD Testing to monitor your health.

If you are black you should be especially conscience of these statistics. In the recent 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), as conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, black men and women between grades 9-12 are shown as substantially more likely than Hispanic and white students to behave in ways that put their sexual health at risk. For example 15.2 percent of black students reported having sexual intercourse before their 13^th birthday, as opposed to 3.4 percent of white students. And 28.6 percent of black students reported having sex with four or more persons as opposed to only 14.2 of Hispanics reporting so and only 10.5 percent of white students. Both of these behaviors, having sex at a very young age and having had sex with multiple partners, significantly increase the possibility of contracting a STD.

This is not to say that high levels of sexual activity should be condoned. Seeking sexual pleasure is not something to feel ashamed of; it is a natural human urge. So understanding and being comfortable with your sexuality should be seen as an intellectual, physical and emotional triumph that furthers ones understanding of the self and how it connects with other human beings. Considering this study, black youth seem far more sexually confident and mature than white youth.

But certain sexual behavior can also lead to chlamydia. Or syphilis, which the Center for Disease Control reports is an especial concern for young black men, whom are experiencing an increased rate of the disease recently. Syphilis infection is also more active in people between the ages of 15-24. And if you’re gay you’re even more likely to contract it, as the CDC notes that 63 percent of reported cases came from men who have sex with other men.

Again, these are just numbers. They do not condone behavior but are meant to increase awareness, and hopefully inspire caution in sexually active persons.

Yet how does one stay cautious? Conflicting about these numbers is how, even though black youth seem to be more sexually active and statistically have higher rates of STDs, the 2009 YRBS shows that black students proved more responsible in their use of condoms during intercourse relative to Hispanic and white students. So how else can one stay cautious, if condoms aren’t enough?

You need to seek STD treatment, regularly. Condoms aren’t always an effective way to prevent STIs. They do not cover all of the skin, and they are known to break. If you do not know you have an STD you put every one of your sexual partners at risk.

These statistics don’t reflect racial or gender behavior, they reflect city behavior. Inner city youth are more susceptible to STDs because there are more people to spread them. And there are higher concentrations of young, black men in city settings more than anywhere else. The more people, the more likely you are to come across someone who unknowingly has an STD. Stop the cycle, protect your city, get tested.

If you’re feeling timid, visit this STD Testing Clinic. The staff is incredibly respectful and sensitive to your privacy. Their doctors also know all the latest procedures and treatment to protect your health if you end up being positive for anything. If you’re interested, log onto STD Testing NYC or call 1-212-696-5900 to make an appointment.

Stages of HIV and where to get testing in NYC.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a sexually transmitted disease that has killed nearly 20 million people worldwide to date. Since the introduction of antiretroviral drugs in 1987 and the improvements integrated with the HAART technique in 1996 incidents of HIV/AIDS related deaths have gone down significantly. Countries all over the globe are seeing less infections and longer living among the infected. Yet the continued spread of the virus is still disheartening, especially in wealthier countries and cities like NYC that provide affordable HIV screening for men and women who are at risk. Despite the ample resources available that help protect and regulate their sexual health, Americans continue to spread HIV. According the Center for Disease Control, about 56,000 people in United States were infected in 2006.

While the story of HIV’s origins sits uncomfortably amidst the cultural myths, prejudice and some speculative research that attempt to explain it, there is little debate between STD doctors over how it manifests itself. It begins with viral transmission, and, as it worsens, could end in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Most people acquire the HIV infection through sexual intercourse. Sexually active persons are considered at high risk for transmission if they abstain from using latex condoms, change partners regularly, or have a history of any sexually transmitted diseases. A much smaller percentage of people in recent years have contracted the virus via intravenous drug habits during exchanges of needles with contaminated people. Mothers infected with the virus can also pass on HIV to their infants. Once infected, the virus invades cells within the body and melds with the host’s DNA to multiply and spread through the body. This stage can be marked by high fever and flu systems.

A clinically asymptomatic stage follows typically 6 months after initial infection. Physical examinations show almost no symptoms for HIV during this time, with exception to possible inflamed glands. The lymphoid tissues in the glands filter and confine most of the infection, which lessons the burden on the rest of the body for some time. Studies at STD clinics have shown that patients during this phase have an unusual symmetric balance between HIV replication and HIV destruction, meaning that at this time a person maintains a steady load of the virus.

As the disease worsens the body enters a systematic stage of infection. This occurs for either three reasons:  1. HIV exhausts the lymphoid tissues in the glands, allowing more and more of the virus to escape and populate the body.
2. The HIV undergoes a mutation, becoming stronger and more varied.
3. The body fails to maintain the balance between HIV replication and HIV destruction.
At this stage antiretroviral treatment is administered.

If the retroviral medication succeeds, the body can return to the asymptomatic stage and continue to protect the immune system. However, if it does not work the disease can quickly deteriorate the immune system, making it impossible for the body to fight off common illnesses. Unless the disease slackens, the individual’s immune system will worsen until they are considered to have AIDS.

The sooner one gets the diagnosis for HIV the better chance they have of preventing the formation of AIDS, which has a radically lower mortality rate. This is especially important considering the elongated time one can experience the asymptomatic stage, so it is pivotal that you make an appointment to get HIV Testing NYC at least once a year if you are sexually active. Log onto NYC STD testing to make an appointment at a testing clinic in NYC, or to learn more about what puts you at risk for the disease and what steps you can take to prevent contracting it.

Stop the spread, get tested today.