Hell’s Kitchen Gets Free STI Services Amid Surge

CDC reports STI rates have been skyrocketing in New York City and across the country over the past several years

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, is adding a free STI testing and treatment program, or Wellness Center, at its new facility in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan. The move comes in response to steadily increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs and/or STDs) in New York and the difficulty some people face accessing testing and treatment in the city.

AHF’s new testing services are also intended to help augment services currently provided by New York City’s Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, whose STI testing hours skew to more traditional business hours. Testing hours at AHF’s program will run towards the end of NYC’s sexual health clinic hours—including running into evening hours to accommodate clients coming after work. As an added client convenience, AHF will also be the only service provider operating on Saturdays.

“For 10 years, we have been successfully operating our free wellness clinic in Downtown Brooklyn, so when the opportunity to expand these services into Manhattan presented itself, we didn’t think twice,” said Eddie Dillard, Regional Director of AHF’s Public Health Division. “There is a growing need for these services not just among the LGBTQIA+ community but also for communities of color.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “… more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia were reported in the United States” in 2022. According to New York City’s NYC Health website, the city experienced the following increases in STIs over the 2021-22 year:

• Chlamydia increased by 5% amongst men and 1% amongst women
• Gonorrhea increased by 11% amongst men but decreased by 15% amongst women
• Syphilis increased by 3% overall with a 36% increase amongst women
• Gonorrhea and chlamydia are disproportionately affecting low-income communities

In addition to HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, AHF provides free STD testing and treatment at 42 Wellness Centers in 14 states nationwide, plus Washington, DC.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 2 million individuals across 47 countries, including the U.S. and in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, visit us online at AIDShealth.org, and find us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

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