Preferred Location: 295 Varnum Ave Lowell,MA 01854 Lowell Change location
Preferred Location: 295 Varnum Ave Lowell,MA 01854 Lowell Change location
The fourth-largest city in Massachusetts recently experienced an HIV outbreak increase of 33% in 2015. Placing the rate of HIV infections at 10.5 per 100,000 people in Lowell, Massachusetts for 2016. State health officials were concerned when they noticed the decline in HIV testing for the Lowell area.
The state intends to combat this scare by encouraging health-care providers and emergency room technicians to test for HIV much more frequently.
Chlamydia continues to be the most common STI affecting the people (especially women) of Lowell. Rates for 2016 were 298.3 per 100,000 residents. As chlamydia is often asymptomatic, it’s crucial to get tested regularly to avoid long-term damage to your reproductive health. For 2016, gonorrhea rates came in at 55.3 per 100,000 people. According to the CDC, gonorrhea is most common in younger people (15-24 years old). The rate of syphilis, primary and secondary, for Middlesex County in 2016 was 6.2 per 100,000 people. The symptoms of syphilis can be mild and go unnoticed, so again, regularly testing is recommended.
For affordable STI testing and HIV screening in your location, you can visit Lowell Community Health Center on Jackson street. They offer confidential testing to teens without requiring parental consent. They also provide some great resources and youth programs for teens to learn about sexual health. Keep your eyes peeled on community calendars in Middlesex County if you’re interested in free STD testing opportunities. April is STD awareness month, so sometimes local events may include free HIV testing during that time.
To find the best services and location for you, use our search tools below to compare location features across Lowell clinics with our easy-to-read chart.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 (CDC) recommends screening for the most common STDs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, herpes 1, herpes 2, and HIV for both men and women. In addition, the CDC suggests women get screened for trichomoniasis.
SaferSTD recommends searching for locations that offer a 10-test panel which tests for the most common bacteria and viral STDs in the U.S. with additional premium add-ons like early HIV detection, if needed.
The CDC2 provides detailed STD testing information as to when you should get tested. In summary, you should get tested today if you are sexually active, never been tested before, have had unprotected sex in the past, or if you exhibit symptoms.
According to the World Health Organization3, the majority of STI cases reported every day, more than one million, are asymptomatic; another reason to get tested today.
You should get tested again in 90 days to rule out STDs that have specific exposure waiting times, including HIV.
STD testing can be a quick and simple process, depending on the type of test you choose and where you get tested. Some may require an oral or genital swab, a urine test or blood sample, or a physical exam to check your genital area for signs of an STD.
SaferSTD has identified preferred providers that require only a urine test, a blood sample, or both without a physical exam.
The speed at which you receive your STD testing results depends on where you get tested. Before you choose your location, find out how long testing results will take.
At-home STD testing results are usually 3-5 business days, depending on the manufacturer of your test. You also need to take into account the amount of time it takes to receive the test or pick one up, perform the test, and ship it back, before the lab can analyze your results and report back to you.
If you test at a public facility such as a neighborhood clinic, you may have to wait a week, if not more for the results, which could delay treatment. If you test through a private facility, they have the fastest turnaround within 1-3 business days.
SaferSTD has researched and identified the most accredited and most reputable testing locations. Click here to find a preferred location near you.
Some STD testing clinics offer same-day walk-in options without an appointment. Below are nearby preferred locations that offer this option.
The cost of STD testing depends on whether you select private, public, or at-home testing, as well as the type of test(s) you need.
Several at-home STD options and public testing locations can cost up to $250, with most on the higher end, depending on the brand and type of testing. Public testing fees also vary based on income and welfare eligibility.
With private testing, you may save money on a low-cost comprehensive 10-test panel that tests for the most common bacterial and viral STDs in the United States.
SaferSTD has researched and identified reputable locations that offer upfront pricing without hidden fees. Click here to find a preferred location near you.
Order a home-test kit onlineThe test takes just 5 minutes and then mail in your sampleReceive your lab results in 2 to 5 daysFDA approved technologyEnjoy free shipping
The Southern New Hampshire HIV/AIDS Task Force is a not-for-profit AIDS Service Organization. They were established in 1997. This Task Force serves residents living in the greater Nashua and Southern New Hampshire regions. They are dedicated to increasing the quality and knowledge of all things related to HIV and AIDS. In summer 2014, they opened a satellite office in Keene, NH. Some services patients can expect include, case management, nutrition services and a food pantry, transportation help, linkage to mental health counseling, and much more.
The Dartmouth-Hitchcock health system is the only academic health system in the state of New Hampshire. This health system provides patients access to more than 1,5000 primary care doctors and specialists. The Dartmouth Hitchcock health system also includes the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, and Geisel School of Medicine.
The Metta Health Center focuses on the city of Lowell Southeast Asian and other refugee populations. Lowell Community Health operates the Metta Health Center and strives to improve the health of all patients through prevention, treatment, and education. This facility offers care to people of all ages and offers primary care services as well as family medicine, chronic disease management, nutrition counseling, acupuncture, traditional healing, and massage therapy.
HealthQ offers family planning and reproductive health services women would need. They have three separate locations, one in Haverhill, Lawrence, and Beverly. The Haverhill Health Center offers services such as telehealth, abortion, STD testing, birth control, pregnancy testing, HIV & PrEP, wellness exams, and miscarriage management.
The Derry Health Center is operated by the Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. This Planned Parenthood is the largest reproductive health and sexuality education provider in northern New England. This Planned Parenthood was founded in 1965 and sees residents at their healthcare facilities in Vermont, New Hampshire, and southern Maine. Some of the unique educational programs that this Planned Parenthood aids in is policy assistance, contraception kits, and training for Professionals.
The Nashua Community Health Department aims to protect and improve the health of surrounding communities of Nashua through education, promoting healthy lifestyles, and research the disease and injury prevention. The core functions of the public health department are assessment, policy development, and assurance. Through working with their community partners they develop healthy behaviors within all their residents.
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Description: Order online and receive a doctor's order to visit this lab to get tested in as little as 15 mins. Get your results privately within 1-2 business days and speak with a doctor over the phone if your test results come back positive. Doctors may prescribe treatment or refer you to a specialist if needed.
Result: 1-2 business days
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These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Getting an STD test at a clinic near you has never been easier. When you choose this location, you can get a doctor's requisition to get tested in as little as 15 minutes. Following your test, you receive your results privately within 2 business days, and can speak to a doctor over the phone with confidence, should results come back as positive.
Result: 1-2 business days 15 min test Book Online Doctor Prescription (if needed)
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These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Why go to a public clinic? Get convenient and fast STD testing that is 100% confidential. Individual tests under $50. Order online and visit this lab the same day for a quick 15 min test. Get your results online within 1-2 business days, and view them privately. Doctor consultation available over the phone, should results come back as positive.
Result: 1-2 business days 15 min test Book Online Doctor Prescription (if needed)
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These location types are best for: Privacy and convenience
Description: Get Fast, Easy and Affordable testing at this location. Results come back within 2 business days and be in and out of the lab in less then 20 minutes.
Result: 1-2 business days 15 min test Book Online Doctor Prescription (if needed)
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Description: Community Based Organization. Please note: hours above for harm reduction services. Mobile testing on Tues. and Thurs. at various locations
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Description: Please register for HIV testing; it is free and confidential. Please note: HIV services hours differ from those listed above. Virtual Care Mon.-Thurs., 5pm-8pm. Please call for additional details
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Description: Community Based Organization. Free Walk-in Clinic: Mondays from 4pm-6pm
Show only locations where you can easily book your test online.
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Description: Need to enroll as a patient.
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Description: Community Based Organization.
Show only locations where they offer the HIV RNA Early Detection Test for people who think they may have been recently exposed to the HIV virus
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Description: Need to enroll as a patient.
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Description: Need to register as a patient.
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Description: Need to register as a patient.
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Description: Need to enroll as a patient.
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Description: Free HIV testing for teens. Other clients must register and become patients before receiving services. Teen Clinic: Wednesday 2:30pm-5pm
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Description: Public Health Department/Social Services Department. Please see our website for clinics and outreach events: https://nashuanh.gov/1261/Calendar-of-Events
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Description: Closed for lunch between 12noon-1:00pm
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It is not just Gonorrhea and Chlamydia rates that are rising, but the number of teenagers infected with the Herpes virus is also climbing as well. While HIV/AIDS rates are still staying low, the same cannot be said for primary and secondary Syphilis. In 2012 Middlesex County accounted for 21 percent of the Syphilis diagnoses in the state, and the number has risen in the last two years.
The Southern New Hampshire HIV/AIDS Task Force has no restrictions on their STD testing services.
Task Force patients will find HIV rapid testing and referral services for anyone at risk of being infected with HIV. Patients will feel more at ease knowing their staff is bilingual in English and Spanish and offer free services for those whose household income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. The Nashua office will also be able to provide partner notification with testing and linkage to proper care.
77 Northeastern Blvd, Nashua, NH 03062, USA
The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center doesn’t have any prior requirements to meet before you can be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
The Dartmouth-Hitchcock health system is a beautiful big building that houses many different doctors and nurses in their respected field. Their doctors and nurses work closely together to make sure they’re doing what is in the best interest of the patient. If you visit this center, you will be listened too by understanding staff members that will help them live the best life possible with HIV/AIDS.
2300 Southwood Dr, Nashua, NH 03063, USA
The Metta Health Center doesn’t have any qualifications for their patients to meet before they can be tested for STDs.
Visitors that come to the Metta Health Center will find compassionate and patient health team members. They will work together to get you the best treatment for any medical conditions you are facing. At the Metta Health Center, patients will also be able to access behavioral health services. This means they will have access to a team that includes a mental health specialist, a licensed mental health clinician, a psychiatrist, or a psychiatric nurse practitioner.
135 Jackson St, Lowell, MA 01852, USA
The Haverhill Health Center doesn’t require anything before someone can be tested for sexually transmitted diseases at their facility.
HealthQ offers a wide variety of sexual health services. For those not yet infected with HIV, but are worried they could be in the future, can get PrEP at this facility. From the moment you walk into their building, the receptionist will greet you and then a nurse practitioner you see will make you feel at ease and welcomed during your visit and any testing or exams you may need to have completed.
215 Summer St #16, Haverhill, MA 01830, USA
The Derry Health Center doesn’t have any prior qualifications for their sexually transmitted disease testing.
The Derry Health Center offers a peer education program that helps youth with the knowledge and skills to make healthy and positive choices for themselves. The health center employees respectful and educated staff members to help better educate patients of their health choices and health conditions on-site.
4 Birch St, Derry, NH 03038, USA
This health department doesn’t have any prior qualifications to meet.
The Nashua Community Health Department provides information to residents so they can better understand their health concerns. They work together to address the strengths and weaknesses in health areas that concern all residents. Their leadership team is knowledgeable and takes pride in promoting, protecting, and preserving the health of all residents in the city of Nashua.
18 Mulberry St, Nashua, NH 03060, USA
A review conducted by an undergraduate at Bridgewater State University in 2012 found that the teen birth rate was 143 percent higher in Lowell than the rest of the state. If this isn’t an indication that the lack of sexual education programs in the classroom is putting students at risk, the high number of STDs reported each year should be enough to let officials know that something needs to be done to educate and protect everyone health.
Studies have shown that cities that have sexual education programs have a significantly lower teen pregnancy rate, and few students test positive for STDs. While some law makers that oppose implementing sex education classes in the public high schools worry that this will give teens a license to engage in premarital sex, the same studies indicate that this is not the case.
What many residents and students do not understand is that not all STDs are spread solely through sexual activity. Some of these viruses can be passed through other methods, and if someone tests positive it does not necessarily mean that they are having sex. This is one of the reasons why Herpes testing in Lowell is so important, especially for teens in public high schools where the virus is usually most prevalent. Regular HIV testing in Lowell is also important for everyone, regardless of their past sexual activity.
Lowell is proud of its history and diverse demographics, but this is also affecting the city STD rates. The conservative values embraced by many residents has made it difficult for health officials to make any progress in their efforts to educate everyone about the dangers of unprotected sex, and the importance of being tested for all of the STIs at least once or twice a year.
Without the information that is readily available in other areas with lower STD rates teens, young adults and even older residents will continue to be at risk.
The conservative beliefs are strengthened by many of the areas religious leaders who are also against sexual education being brought into the school system. This refusal to even admit that there is a problem is also making it difficult for teens and young adults to find someone to talk about their sexual health.
Lower income families are also finding it difficult to afford regular testing and recent cuts to the city health care budget has forced many of the free clinics to close. Without a place to go for testing many residents actually believe that it is not that important. Other contributing factors include a reluctance to wait at the few facilities that are still open, and many residents are simply too ashamed and embarrassed to be seen at a testing center. Until this changes the city can expect the number of infections reported each to continue to rise.
While it would be more entertaining to tour the Whistler House Museum or any of the other attractions in Lowell than get tested for sexually transmitted diseases, it is an important step in taking care of your health. If waiting in one of the lines at a neighborhood center is not an option, but you still want to be responsible for your sexual health there is an easier way. It is possible to schedule confidential STD testing so you only need to spend a few minutes at a nearby lab.
Reference:
http://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1211&context=undergrad_rev
Each page below contains a detailed report of the local area, location STD statistics and clinic reviews of some the top STD testing locations. The content is curated by our very own editors and medical experts.
Your preferred location: 295 Varnum Ave Lowell,MA 01854 Lowell Change Location
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