Free STD Testing Near You in Glendale, AZ

STD testing can feel stressful, embarrassing or even shameful, but it doesn’t need to be. Just because you are searching out a discreet, private way to get tested, doesn’t mean that you need to feel alone. Our dedicated team of Care Advisors is available 7 days a week from 6 am to 10 pm to answer all of your questions and guide you each step of the way. Our affiliate medical team is available for consults and are able to prescribe treatment for your condition, if medically appropriate and if allowed by state law. Know your status and get back to what matters most, like free time spent catching a game with family and friends at The University of Phoenix Stadium.

Who should get tested for STDs? Knowing the risks and getting tested can help lower the rates in the Glendale and Maricopa medical statistical area. Anyone sexually active who has never been tested, anyone who recently had unprotected sex, anyone with multiple partners in the last year, anyone in a relationship with an STD-positive partner or anyone who has been exposed to an STD should get tested as soon as possible. According to the CDC, all STDs can be treated and many can be cured, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis. However, an STD left untreated can lead to more serious medical complications, such as infertility and PID.^3&4

The most significant increase of sexually transmitted disease in Glendale and the surrounding Maricopa county jurisdiction is syphilis, an STI that has seen rapid growth all throughout Arizona between 2013 and 2014. According to the most recent reports released by the Arizona Department of Health Services, this sexually transmitted disease saw an increase of 47.9% during this reporting period, with 213 infections in 2013 compared to 409 infections in 2014. Another sexually transmitted disease on the rise in this geographic area is gonorrhea, which saw 5,514 diagnoses in 2014 compared to 4,724 the year before, increased by 14.3% year-over-year. From 2011 to 2014, the number of gonorrhea infections in Glendale and Maricopa County increased by 41.8%²

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in Glendale, Maricopa County, as well as the state of Arizona and all across the United States. With 1.4 million infections reported yearly across the United States according to the CDC’s 2014 Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report. In the Glendale and Maricopa County area, there were 19,152 new infections reported in 2013 compared to 19,788 in 2014. In this metropolitan statistical area, the average rate of HIV infection between 2009 and 2013 was recorded as 11.5 cases per 100,000 residents. Continuing to stress testing and getting the right diagnosis is the best path to effective treatment is essential for the betterment of community health in this area.^2,5&6

Sexual education in Glendale and the Maricopa County area is not mandatory by state law. However, all schools need to provide HIV/AIDS instruction to its students. While current legislation is pending to make this general sexual health curriculum required all across Arizona, it is not currently the standard. Current topics in the instruction of HIV/AIDS prevention include ways the disease can be contracted in a manner that is medically accurate and age-appropriate. However, no district is allowed to include instruction explaining homosexuality as a, “positive alternative life-style”. Considering that 22.8% of all sexually transmitted diseases across the state are reported by men who have sex with men (MSM), it is clear that this lifestyle is at high-risk and should learn more as to how to protect themselves from these sexually transmitted conditions. ^2,7&8

While it seems that the state of Arizona is on a path to a more comprehensive model of sexual education, there are still great strides to be made so that all young people in the state have all of the facts and prevention methods about sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and unintended pregnancy. Given that young people all across the United States account for nearly 10 million of the 20 million sexually transmitted diseases reported to the Center for Disease control annually, this group is not only at high risk, they also experience certain emotional and educational factors that keep them from getting tested and treated, therefore lowering the risk of transmission from one partner to another. For example, the CDC cites one factor of the high youth rate of STDs as being concern over disclosing risky behavior to doctors.⁹

Gender plays a significant role in the distribution of sexually transmitted diseases in Glendale and Maricopa County, as well as across Arizona and the United States. Typically, women report the highest number of chlamydia infections, and in Arizona, women are 2.5 times more likely to be affected than men. Maricopa county itself accounted for 64.4% of all STDs reported in 2014, according to reports published by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Just as chlamydia infects a larger number of women, the inverse is true of syphilis in both the state of Arizona and all across the United States. In Arizona in 2014,  523 cases were reported in men compared to 49 reported in women.²

Maricopa and Pima Counties account for the majority of all STDs reported in the state, and the racial/ethnic groups most directly impacted by the spread of sexually transmitted disease is the American Indian/Native Alaskan population, as well as the African American population. This part of the country is home to 21 Native American tribes, which puts Arizona in an unique situation demographically. It’s important to support outreach to these groups at high risk to communicate and encourage period STD testing to prevent their spread and to also get linked to a cure.

Stress less about an unknown STD status and make more free time to cool off from the Arizona heat by catching a game at the Gila River Arena. Getting started with STDtest.com is simple. Begin by answering a few brief questions online or by phone to receive a personal test recommendation from our doctors, customized to your personal symptoms and history. Next, you’ll choose your testing option. You can select the lab most convenient for your from a nationwide network of thousands for a short visit (usually 30 minutes or less) to collect your test samples. If available in your area, we can bring the lab to you with In-Home Collection. A trained Lab Collection Specialist can come to your location of choice to collect your blood or urine sample, with only an hours’ notice.

For both options, test results are usually available in usually three business days or less. You can follow up with our medical team to discuss your diagnosis, ask any remaining questions you have and get treatment prescribed, if medically appropriate and if allowed by state law. Get tested. It’s for your better health.

References:
1 U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts – Glendale and Maricopa County, AZ
2 Arizona Department of Health Services Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2014 Report
3 The Lowdown on How to Prevent STDs
4 CDC – Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
5 CDC 2014 Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2014
6 Arizona Health Matters – HIV/AIDS Incidence Rate (Cases/100,000 population)
7 Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 15.716 – HIV Education Guidelines
8 SB1020 sex education programs; requirements Bill Overview
9 Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Americans