MONTGOMERY, Al. — The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) announced Thursday they’ve renewed their at-home STD/HIV collection kit program for residents this year.
According to the department’s news release, the kits are mailed to the patient’s home from the ADPH Division of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention and Control. They contain supplies to collect urine, swab samples, or blood from a fingerstick. The patient then is able to mail the kit back for processing in a lab using a prepaid envelope.
ADPH says the results are returned to the clinician, who follows up with the patient. The at-home test can detect HIV infection within 2-3 weeks of exposure, according to ADPH.
One in two sexually active young people will get an STD before age 25, and most will not be aware of it, according to ADPH.
“Home sample collection and laboratory-based testing allow people to test for a sexually transmitted infection or HIV, find out their result in their own home or other private location, and be connected to care as appropriate,” said ADPH in their news release.
Specific information about requesting a test, test results, treatment and follow-up is available at adph.mybinxhealth.com
ADPH operates free, confidential STD clinics statewide. To find the closest clinic near you, contact your nearest county health department.
