Sexual health clinics specialize in the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.

Terminology

Sexual health clinics are also called '' sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics'', ''sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics'', ''venereal disease (VD) clinics'', or ''

genitourinary medicine Reproductive medicine is a branch of medicine concerning the male and female reproductive systems. It encompasses a variety of reproductive conditions, their prevention and assessment, as well as their subsequent treatment and prognosis. Reprodu ...

(GUM) clinics''. Sexual health clinics differ from reproductive health and

family planning Family planning is the consideration of the number of children a person wishes to have, including the choice to have no children, and the age at which they wish to have them. Things that may play a role on family planning decisions include marita ...

clinics. Sexual health clinics offer only some reproductive health services. Reproductive health clinics, such as

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. It is a tax-exempt corporation under Internal Reve ...

, offer most of the services of sexual health clinics.

Services

Sexual health clinics provide some or all of the following: * Information about safer sex,

birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

, reproductive health and general sex education * Free

condom A condom is a sheath-shaped barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both male and female condoms. With proper use—and use at every act of in ...

s * Sexual health examinations *

Tests Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

to detect some

sexually transmitted infection Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are Transmission (medicine), spread by Human sexual activity, sexual activity, especi ...

s *

Antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention of ...

s to

cure A cure is a substance or procedure that ends a medical condition, such as a medication, a surgical operation, a change in lifestyle or even a philosophical mindset that helps end a person's sufferings; or the state of being healed, or cured. The ...

chlamydia, gonorrhea, and

syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, an ...

* Medications and other treatments * Vaccinations * Counseling and therapy * Emergency contraception * Urine test for pregnancy * Referrals for additional information or services Many clinics provide vaccinations to prevent infections from the hepatitis A and B viruses. Young women may receive vaccinations to prevent infection from some strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Many clinics provide

interpreting Interpreting is a translational activity in which one produces a first and final target-language output on the basis of a one-time exposure to an expression in a source language. The most common two modes of interpreting are simultaneous inter ...

for the hearing impaired or speakers of other languages. Many clinics will help patients tell their sexual contacts if they have a sexually transmitted infection, anonymously if needed. Public governmental and non-profit clinics often provide services for free or adjust the fee based on a patient's ability to pay. Sexual health clinics often offer services without appointments. Some clinics open evenings or weekends. Some clinics have separate hours or facilities for men and women. Some clinics serve only specific populations such as women, men, MSM,

youths Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood (Maturity (psychological), maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as b ...

, LGBT, ethnic groups, the poor, or students.

Examinations

With the patient's consent, a

clinician A clinician is a health care professional typically employed at a skilled nursing facility or clinic. Clinicians work directly with patients rather than in a laboratory or as a researcher. A clinician may diagnose, treat, and otherwise care for pa ...

will inspect the patient visually and by touch. If needed, the clinician will take samples to test for

s. In a private room or space, the patient will partially undress. The clinician may inspect the patient's: * Throat and

lymph node A lymph node, or lymph gland, is a kidney-shaped organ of the lymphatic system and the adaptive immune system. A large number of lymph nodes are linked throughout the body by the lymphatic vessels. They are major sites of lymphocytes that inclu ...

s of the neck for inflammation *

Pubic hair Pubic hair is terminal body hair that is found in the genital area of adolescent and adult humans. The hair is located on and around the sex organs and sometimes at the top of the inside of the thighs. In the pubic region around the pubis bon ...

for

lice Louse ( : lice) is the common name for any member of the clade Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless parasitic insects. Phthiraptera has variously been recognized as an order, infraorder, or a parvorder, as a result o ...

Lymph node A lymph node, or lymph gland, is a kidney-shaped organ of the lymphatic system and the adaptive immune system. A large number of lymph nodes are linked throughout the body by the lymphatic vessels. They are major sites of lymphocytes that inclu ...

s of the groin for swelling * Genitals,

anus The anus (Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, the residual semi-solid waste that remains after food digestion, which, d ...

, and surrounding areas for sores and warts The clinician may swab the patient's: * Throat to test for gonorrhea and possibly chlamydia * Cheek, inside, to diagnose HIV * Sores of the genitals, anus, and surrounding areas to test for herpes * Urethra to test for gonorrhea and possibly chlamydia * Vagina to test for chlamydia and possibly gonorrhea *

Cervix The cervix or cervix uteri (Latin, 'neck of the uterus') is the lower part of the uterus (womb) in the human female reproductive system. The cervix is usually 2 to 3 cm long (~1 inch) and roughly cylindrical in shape, which changes during ...

to test for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (a Pap test) *

Rectum The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in humans and some other mammals, and the Gastrointestinal tract, gut in others. The adult human rectum is about long, and begins at the rectosigmoid junction (the end of the s ...

to test for gonorrhea and possibly chlamydia The clinician may take small blood samples by pricking a finger or from a vein to test for HIV,

, and possibly herpes and

hepatitis C Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. During the initial infection people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally a fever, dark urine, a ...

. The clinician may ask for a small urine sample, given in private, to test for chlamydia and possibly gonorrhea. The inspections and taking samples do not hurt, but swabbing the urethra and cervix, and a finger prick blood sample feel uncomfortable. Women will often receive a pelvic exam, both external and internal, but usually less thorough than a reproductive health exam. A patient can choose a female or male clinician if available. A patient can have a chaperone. Some clinics have separate hours or facilities for men and women.

Privacy

Medical confidentiality is an important part of the

medical ethics Medical ethics is an applied branch of ethics which analyzes the practice of clinical medicine and related scientific research. Medical ethics is based on a set of values that professionals can refer to in the case of any confusion or conflict. T ...

of a

doctor–patient relationship The doctor–patient relationship is a central part of health care and the practice of medicine. A doctor–patient relationship is formed when a doctor attends to a patient's medical needs and is usually through consent. This relationship is bu ...

. Sexual health clinics follow local standards of medical confidentiality to protect the privacy of patients. Some clinics provide anonymous services or protect confidentiality by having a patient use a number or a pseudonym. Additional privacy protections sometimes apply to matters of sexuality and reproduction, since these areas are sensitive in many cultures. The diagnosis of HIV/AIDS has legal restrictions in patient confidentiality, and some clinics use rapid antibody tests to provide results to a patient within 30 minutes, without holding the patient's records. In the United States, clinics receiving federal funding from Medicaid or Title X of the

Public Health Service Act The Public Health Service Act is a United States federal law enacted in 1944. The full act is codified in Title 42 of the United States Code (The Public Health and Welfare), Chapter 6A (Public Health Service). Contents The act clearly establis ...

must treat all patients confidentially. Thus minors can receive services without parental notification or consent. Additionally, medical records for all patients age 18 and above are strictly confidential under

HIPAA The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA or the Kennedy– Kassebaum Act) is a United States Act of Congress enacted by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 19 ...

Consent

Medical standards of

informed consent Informed consent is a principle in medical ethics and medical law, that a patient must have sufficient information and understanding before making decisions about their medical care. Pertinent information may include risks and benefits of treatme ...

apply to sexual health clinics. A patient needs information about the purposes and consequences of examinations, tests, treatments, and other procedures. A patient may then choose whether to consent to these procedures. A

minor Minor may refer to: * Minor (law), a person under the age of certain legal activities. ** A person who has not reached the age of majority * Academic minor, a secondary field of study in undergraduate education Music theory *Minor chord ** Barb ...

may consent to receive some or all of the procedures at many sexual health clinics.

References

External links

United States

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United Kingdom

* * * * * (England) * (Wales) {{DEFAULTSORT:Sexual Health Clinic Sexual health Sexually transmitted diseases and infections Andrology Urology Clinics