(Indianapolis, Ind.) – Planned Parenthood of Indiana (PPIN) will be offering free sexually-transmitted disease (STD) screenings at 19 of its health centers in April, as part of the “Get Yourself Tested” campaign and National STD Awareness Month.
The following 19 centers will have free screenings available for gonorrhea and chlamydia: Avon, Bloomington, Columbus, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis-Castleton, Indianapolis-Eastside, Indianapolis-Midtown, Indianapolis-Southside, Hammond, Lafayette, Madison, Merrillville, Mishawaka, Muncie, Richmond, Terre Haute, Valparaiso and Warsaw.
The free tests will be offered during the first week of April (Monday, April 2 through Friday, April 6), as well as every Friday through the end of the month (April 13, April 20 and April 27).
In addition to the free STD screenings, the same 19 health centers will also be offering free HIV testing on the dates detailed above, the costs of which are partially covered by the Indiana AIDS Fund.
“Getting tested for STDs and HIV is key to staying healthy,” said Dr. John Stutsman, PPIN’s medical director. “Many sexually-transmitted infections do not exhibit any obvious symptoms, which is why individuals who may be at risk should get regular screenings.
“Gonorrhea and chlamydia are curable. However, the first step toward treating these infections is identifying them. Through these free screenings, we’re encouraging everyone to get tested and take control of their health.”
The Guttmacher Institute estimates that there are approximately 19 million new cases of STDs each year in the United States. Of those 19 million cases, half are among 15 to 24-year-olds.
For more information, or to make an appointment, call (800) 230-PLAN. Appointments are encouraged, but not required. You can also go to http://www.ppin.org/healthcenters/locations.html to obtain a list of health center locations and their contact information.
