 The mission of Collin County STD/HIV Clinic
is to provide quality education,
screening, counseling and treatment services in order to prevent, control,
and eliminate the spread of STDs in the county. To ensure the protection
of the public, we continually strive to maintain close communication with
clients, health providers, and other agencies to facilitate the exchange
of information and strengthen our epidemiologic investigations of cases.
While substantial progress has been made in preventing,
diagnosing, and treating certain STDs in recent years, the CDC estimates
that 19 million new infections occur each year, almost half of them among
young people ages 15 to 24.
STD stands for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, which can be caused by bacteria,
virus, or other organisms. Bacterial STDs include Chlamydia, Gonorrhea,
Syphilis, Trichomoniasis, and Bacterial Vaginosis. Viral STDs include
Herpes, Genital Warts, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Although
most people with STD infections do not experience any signs or symptoms
of the disease, the following are some possible signs and symptoms:
- Painful or painless sores in vaginal, oral, or anal area.
- Unusual discharge
- Burning during urination
- Pelvic, lower abdominal, or groin pain
- Itching
- Warts on genitals, anus, or urethra
In most cases, bacterial STDs can be treated and cured
by simple antibiotics. Viral STDs, however, in most cases can only be
treated but not cured. STDs are spread through intimate person-to-person
contact such as oral, vaginal, and anal sex. They can also be spread through
the sharing of needles. Pregnant women may spread STDs to their babies
before giving birth, during birth, or after birth through breast-feeding.
STDs have harmful effects on babies and can cause stillbirth, low birth
weight, conjunctivitis (eye infection), pneumonia, neonatal sepsis, neurologic
damage, and even blindness and deafness. In adults, STDs can cause other
complications such as cervical or other cancers, chronic hepatitis, pelvic
inflammatory
diseases, infertility, or make the infected person more susceptible
to acquiring HIV.
The most proven way to stay healthy and prevent STD
infection is to practice safe sex, abstinence, use of condoms during all sexual contact, maintaining
an exclusive sexual relationship with only one partner, and not sharing
needles. It is important to be tested and treated for STDs in a timely
manner. If you think you have a STD, get tested. If you know you have
a STD, get treated.
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Diagnostic Services
Our STD/HIV clinic offers quality diagnostic services
in compliance with federal and state regulations for the screening and
diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases. We offer testing for the following
conditions:
- Gonorrhea
- Chlamydia
- Syphilis
- Bacterial Vaginosis
- Trichomoniasis
- HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
- Herpes I and II and Hepatitis A, B, & C Screening
The base price for STD services at our clinic is $20. This fee covers
screening and treatment if necessary except for Bacterial Vaginosis, Herpes, and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
HPV, Hepatitis A & B vaccinations are also available
for an additional fee.
| Herpes Testing |
| Blood test |
$100 |
| Culture of the lesion | $50 |
Counseling and Treatment Services
Our clinical staff members are professionals trained in the
diagnosis, treatment, counseling, and follow-up of STD cases. We provide
counseling and treatment to patients who have been diagnosed with Syphilis,
Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Bacterial Vaginosis, or Trichomoniasis. It is important
for patients to work closely with clinic staff to ensure that they understand
their condition and are treated appropriately and not get re-infected or
exposed to another STD. Clients who test positive for HIV can receive
treatment from their private physician or be referred by our clinic
to the Dallas County HIV Early Intervention Clinic located at the Dallas
County Health and Human Services, or to AIDS Services of North Texas in Plano.
In addition to providing evaluation, treatment, counseling,
and referral services to help clients deal with the newly infected STD,
our clinic also works closely with the Health Department Epidemiologist.
Disease Intervention Services (DIS) will work with patients with the partner notification process. This
ensures that possible contacts receive timely testing and treatment of
HIV & Syphilis.
Patient Confidentiality
The Collin County STD/HIV clinic understands the importance
of patients' rights to privacy and emphasizes maintaining patient
confidentiality.
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