By Molly Mollotova
Staff Writer
After a heated debate in the Texas House of Representatives on March 31, Rep. Stuart Spitzer (R-Kaufman) was able to successfully push an amendment reallocating $3 million from Texas’ human immune deficiency virus and sexually transmitted disease prevention programs to fund more abstinence-only education.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an overall decline in new infections from 2008 to 2010, it is widely agreed in the medical community that continuous education and prevention services are required to maintain a steady decrease in STDs.
With the closing of many Planned Parenthood clinics and other low-cost healthcare facilities in Texas, the demand for affordable STD education, testing and treatment services is becoming more essential.
Luckily for Dallas-area residents, there are several free or low-cost, non-judgmental HIV and STD-related healthcare options from which to choose.
According to Brookhaven College Nurse Mildred Kelley, the school offers free HIV testing on the first Tuesday of each month during the spring and fall semesters. Kelley said the testing is not only for students, but also open to the public.
For those who need more detailed testing or cannot make it to testing at Brookhaven, Kelley has them covered. “If someone comes to the Health Center requiring more testing or who would like quicker results, they can always come talk to me and I can refer them to a low-cost facility,” Kelley said.
In addition to the Brookhaven Health Center, the Resource Center in Dallas is another low-cost, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender-friendly choice.
The Resource Center’s Nelson- Tebedo Clinic in the Oaklawn neighborhood offers free, confidential, one-minute Rapid HIV Antibody and Early Detection Screenings with a Syphilis test for certain patients, as well as testing for various STDs, ranging from Gonorrhea and Chlamydia for $40 to a more in-depth HIV screening for $90. Appointments are required Monday through Wednesday, but any patient seeking treatment or free contraception is welcome to drop in Thursday through Saturday.
One of the best, albeit frustrating and time-consuming, options for individuals seeking low-cost testing and treatment is the Dallas County Health and Human Services STD Clinic. The clinic is located on the first floor of the DCHHS building, off of Stemmons Freeway, close to downtown Dallas.
According to the clinic’s website, services can include testing (for Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, HIV, Herpes with symptoms, Trichomonads, Chancroid with symptoms and Yeast Infections), some same-day results, an exam and treatment for $20. Additionally, DCHHS is equipped with a mobile unit that travels to various locations within Dallas County for easier testing options.
With all of the low-cost and free options in D-FW, there is no lack of information about the dangers of unprotected sex or whether or not symptoms are a sign of an STD.
For more information on free or low-cost testing, readers can contact one of the clinics mentioned below or visit Brookhaven’s Health Center.
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Brookhaven College Health Center – (972) 860-4195
Room S072
Resource Center – Nelson-Tebedo Clinic (866) 657-2437 4012
Cedar Springs Road, Dallas TX, 75219
(214) 528-2336
DCHHS – (214) 819-1819 2377
N. Stemmons Freeway, Room 190 Dallas, TX
Mobile Unit – (214) 819-2155
