Free STD Testing in Wayne, NJ

Before a 7.5 million grant was cut in 2009, there were 29,626 reported cases of Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydia. By 2014, there were 37,657 people infected with an STI. In Passaic County, the infections increased by 70%. One of the primary reasons for this was the elimination of some services by the Planned Parenthood serving the metropolitan areas of New Jersey.

There has also been an increase in reported cases of HIV/AIDS. In 2016, it was reported that there were 1641 individuals living with HIV and 4820 living with AIDS. Of these, the age demographic most impacted were those aged 35-44. There were 1574 males infected within that age demographic and 709 females. The ethnic demographic most impacted were Black, non-Hispanics. Males were most impacted through MSM contact and females were most impacted through heterosexual contact.  

In 2015, there were 3,009 cases of Chlamydia reported. Of these cases, the greatest ethnic demographic impacted was Other/Unknown, with 1327 cases reported. Second highest were White, non-Hispanics with 590 cases reported. The gender demographic most impacted were females with 2224 cases reported.

Black, non-Hispanics were most impacted by Gonorrhea with 349 cases reported. The gender demographic most impacted were males. The second greatest impact was on Other/Unknown with 139 cases reported.

The ethnic demographic most impacted by Early Latent Syphilis were White, non-Hispanics. There were 27 cases of White, non-Hispanics being infected with Early Latent Syphilis. The gender demographic most impacted were males with 21 cases being reported.

The requirements for teaching sexual health in schools has been outlined in the content of Standard 2.4: Human Relationships and Sexuality and must be included in the district’s health education curriculum. However, if a child’s parent or guardian presents to the school a signed statement that any part of instruction in health, family life education, or sex education conflicts with their beliefs or moral conscience then their child may be excused from that portion of the course. Students excused from instruction should be provided alternative instructional content and activities aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education (CCCS).

Schools are not required to teach Abstinence Only curriculum, but it is strongly suggested that the stress abstinence as an effective way of birth control and STI prevention. Teachers are also required to handle topics sensitively and use medically correct information.

Outside the classroom there are other means by which an individual can garner information. There is the New Jersey Teen Prevention Education Program (Teen PEP), which is a statewide sexual health promotion and peer education initiative that enables high school students to make healthy decisions. Through the program, teens become peers and role models to other students their age. The program teaches healthy sexual initiatives and how to have a positive self-image.

15 minutes away from Wayne is the CAPCO Resource Center. CAPCO (The Coalition on AIDS in Passaic County) is a non-profit that provides case management services for those living with HIV/AIDS. They also provide a list of resources for patients as well as counseling services.

There could possibly be a correlation between the fact that women are the gender demographic most impacted by Chlamydia and the fact that they are also the gender most impacted by poverty. There were 2224 cases of women with Chlamydia reported within the county. In 2015, 17.6% of the population living in poverty were females aged 25-34. This age demographic is also the most impacted by STI’s. The county also fell below the state and national poverty level by at least $3,000.

There could also be a correlation between the number of women living with Chlamydia and the average salary for women. In 2015, it was reported that the average salary for woman was $58,643 while males made $23,000 more. This could also play a part in why women are the greatest gender demographic living in poverty.

The number of male graduates could reflect the fact that males were the gender demographic most impacted by HIV, Gonorrhea and Syphilis. In 2015, there were 2,277 male graduates in comparison to 4,023 graduates. There could also be a correlation between the low number of Black, non-Hispanic graduates and the number of Black, non-Hispanics impacted by STI’s and HIV. In 2015, there were 912 Black, non-Hispanic graduates compared to 2,221 White, non-Hispanic graduates and 2,237 Hispanic graduates.

The Paterson Community Health Center’s main goal is to provide excellent health care while respecting the dignity of the patient. They focus primarily on the uninsured and underinsured. They refuse to turn anyone away regardless of their ability to pay. They also will accept patience with Medicaid and Medicare, as well as private insurance. For those that are uninsured, visits cost as little as $16. Payment is determined on family size and income. The center is located in Paterson, about four miles from Wayne.

The St. Joseph Healthcare Center has a program specifically for HIV patients. The program was established in a response to the growing need to care for HIV patients. There is a team of physicians, nurses and support staff. Services range from caring for infants to adults. They also have certified counselors and a dentistry department. The center is located about 4 miles away in Paterson.

The health department of Paterson also provides services. They offer assistance in managing cases and finding financial assistance for patients. They also offer guidance in how to live a healthy and safe sexual lifestyle.

About 23 minutes way in Hackensack, NJ there is a counseling center for HIV patients. This center is run by the Bergen County Office of Public Health. They also offer free and confidential same day STI and HIV testing. Assistance in Spanish is also provided.

There is a Planned Parenthood located in Paterson. Individuals are encouraged to make an appointment online. This Planned Parenthood accepts a wide variety of insurances- all of which are listed on their website. They test for bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia, genital warts, gonorrhea, herpes, HIV, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.

They test for Gonorrhea and Chlamydia using urine samples. They suggest not urinating an hour before your test. Most of their STI tests also require a genital exam. Rapid HIV testing can be done by swabbing the inside of the patient’s mouth and with results in as little as 20 minutes. They offer counseling for those whose tests come back positive. They also provide STI and safe sex education.

Wayne and the surrounding areas have seen an increase in STI’s and HIV over the last several years. This could be in part over the lack of consistent and widespread funding in the state of New Jersey. While there is no Planned Parenthood within the city limits of Wayne, there is a center in nearby Paterson. Regardless of the statistics, the best way to prevent STI’s is to either remain abstinent or practice safe sex with your partner. Wayne also provides several online resources that help educate about STI’s. One of which is: http://www.nj.gov/corrections/pdf/OTS/SmartBooks/PassaicCountySmartBook.pdf. As always, if you believe you have contracted an STI, please search out a testing center and seek treatment.