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**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
October 27, 2008
Contact: Sarah Krauss
212.669.4193; 917.541.0936
Release #: 038-2008
Gotbaum Follow-Up Survey Reveals Problems at City STD Clinics
NYC remains the epicenter of AIDS epidemic; City STD rates exceed national average
Read the Report
MANHATTAN- Joined by advocates, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today released a new survey of sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics operated by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). Free city-run clinics set up to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, were often unable to provide important services and information, according to the findings. Rapid HIV tests were only available at one of the 10 clinics.
Public Advocate Gotbaum said, “It is critical that we reduce any and all barriers to STD screening and testing. Public clinics are an invaluable resource to uninsured individuals who may be unable to afford care elsewhere, and while I’m pleased to see some improvements have been made, we must do more to improve access to services at STD clinics.”
Gay Men’s Health Crisis Chief Executive Officer Dr. Marjorie Hill said, “We have long believed that testing individuals for HIV acts as both treatment and prevention. Early detection of HIV serves to move people into proper care sooner and set them on a path to manage their HIV infection. Testing also provides an important opportunity for prevention education.”
New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman said, “This report is further proof that our young people need full, unbiased and useful information regarding sexual health. In our work in schools, we hear countless tales from students who are not receiving the basic knowledge necessary to understand, much less protect, their health. For children to grow into healthy adults, they need the facts to make responsible decisions.”
STDs continue to be a major public health problem in New York City; rates for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis exceed the national average. When detected early, most STDs can be treated effectively. Without treatment, however, STDs can lead to serious health problems such as infertility, cervical cancer, and ectopic pregnancy.
In addition, New York City continues to be the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the AIDS cases reported annually in the nation. According to the DOHMH, in 2006, Manhattan was home to the most HIV diagnoses in New York City, while the Bronx was home to the greatest number of deaths due to infection by the AIDS virus.
The Public Advocate’s survey was a follow-up to a 2006 report evaluating the performance of the DOHMH STD clinics which revealed that the clinics were in need of significant improvement. Since that time, notable improvements have been made in the availability of doctors at clinics, general STD screening, and standard HIV testing.
Other findings:
-Rapid HIV tests were available at only 1 of 10 clinics, compared to 7 of 10 in 2006.
-Hepatitis C screening was available at the patient’s request at only 2 of 10 clinics.
-The Chelsea clinic was the least functional, with no educational information on STDs available, no doctor available, a dirty waiting/reception area, and rude and unhelpful staff.
-Most DOHMH STD clinics do not offer services outside of standard business hours.
Clinic staff does not ensure that all clinic visitors and callers are aware of all available services
-The DOHMH website lacks necessary information for potential patients seeking care.
-The survey results prompted Gotbaum to call on the DOHMH to ensure that all clinics provide a full range of services, including Hepatitis C screenings and rapid HIV testing, for the entirety of the scheduled hours.
Gotbaum also recommended that DOHMH work to ensure that:
-Doctors are available at all clinics to ensure treatment for all patients and decrease wait times.
-All clinics offer expanded hours, particularly evening hours.
-Staff ensures that all clinic visitors and callers are aware of all available services.
-Additional means of increasing access to STD services are pursued, including additional clinic locations, a mobile STD clinic, and an expansion of the Bronx-Wide HIV Testing Initiative.
-Web information on STD clinics is updated to include additional information on STD clinic operation, such as telephone numbers and clear explanations of available services.
-Publish teen-specific information regarding the availability of free and confidential STD screening.
Housing Works Director of New York Policy and Organizing Kristin Goodwin said, “It is unconscionable that while Commissioner Frieden has been advocating to change the state’s HIV testing laws to supposedly improve access to HIV rapid testing, he has been unable to provide adequate testing opportunities for the public in clinics run by his own Department.”
NARAL Pro-Choice NY VP for Public Policy & Political Initiatives Katherine Grainger said, “Incredibly, New York City remains the epicenter of the HIV virus, with more AIDS cases than Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Washington DC combined. Despite progress in testing and treatment, the disease is still disproportionately impacting young people and minorities; nationwide it is the leading cause of death for African American women aged 25–34 years old and it is on the rise among young men in NYC. It is imperative that the city do everything possible both to give young people the information they need to keep themselves healthy and safe and to make testing and treatment available to all who need it.”
Between July 10th and August 7, 2008, surveyors from the Office of the Public Advocate revisited each of the city’s 10 STD clinics on weekday afternoons, just as in 2006, to reassess operations, determine whether certain services were available for individuals arriving in the clinic late in the work day, and to assess what improvements, if any, have taken place since the prior investigation. The surveyors spoke with clinic staff in the reception area of each facility, posing as potential patients, and inquired about the possibility of seeing a doctor, receiving a general STD screening, and receiving a rapid HIV test.
The rates of chlamydia and syphilis have been on the rise both nationally and in New York City. The resurgence of syphilis, in particular, is cause for concern, given its potentially serious health effects.
Also of particular concern is STD infection among teenagers in New York City. A recent study revealed that, nationally, up to 25 per cent of teenage girls are, or have been, infected with at least one STD. A DOHMH study revealed that girls age 15 to 19 account for more than 34 per cent of women infected with STDs in New York City, an indication that teen education regarding STDs, their treatment, and, more importantly, their prevention may be in need of improvement.
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