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On February 26, 2010, the MISTER Project began providing in-house sexually transmitted disease (STD) screenings for syphilis, gonorrhea and Chlamydia for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM), thanks to a generous grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
While the MISTER Project does not offer medical treatment on-site, the agency has a strong referral network for treatment of sexually transmitted infections and will help all clients with a positive result on any STD screening get fast medical care with the right healthcare provider for you and your circumstances.
Free STD screenings for gay and other MSM are offered at 139 Ralph McGill Blvd., Suite 201, Atlanta GA 30308, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m.
If you are presenting to the MISTER Project for an HIV test and are identified to have an STD risk factor during that visit, you will receive an automatic referral to the Health Care Specialist to obtain an STD screening.
If you present to the Men’s Health STD Clinic for an STD screening, you will need to read and signed an informed consent giving us permission to test you for syphilis, gonorrhea and Chlamydia. You will also be asked to fill out some personal information about yourself before meeting with the Health Care Specialist. Once you have completed this 2-page document, the Health Care Specialist will meet with you to go over your information, perhaps ask a few additional questions, and then offer to answer any questions you might have about sexually transmitted infections.
To test for syphilis, the Health Care Specialist will need to obtain a small amount of blood from your arm, and then she will ask you to provide a urine sample for gonorrhea and Chlamydia. The blood will be sent to the State Laboratory for processing and the urine will be sent to Emory for processing. Once all test results are back (typically within 7 to 10 business days), the Health Care Specialist will call you with your results. Your results will only be given to you, and will not be left in a voicemail.
If all three tests are negative, the Health Care Specialist might make recommendations for keeping yourself health. If any of the three tests are positive, the Health Care Specialist will work with you to get you medical care that is fast, convenient and meets your personal needs. One of the goals of the Health Care Specialist is to ensure that all of her clients who test positive on any STD test will get the medical treatment they need.
SPECIAL NOTE: The Health Care Specialist will inform you during your visit that should one of your STD tests return positive, that information is required by law to be reported to the health department in the county in which you live. A representative of the health department will then contact you to ensure that you were able to receive medical treatment for your condition. If you have not obtained medical treatment, the health department will assist in getting you medical care.
Parking is free behind the agency, and only two blocks from the Civic Center MARTA station.
At this time, we are only able to offer free STD screenings for syphilis, gonorrhea and Chlamydia to gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men due to funding limitations. Therefore, we are unable to screen women and men who do not have sex with other men for any STD’s in the Men’s Health STD Clinic. If you are a women or a man who does not have sex with men and believe you need an STD screening, our Health Care Specialist can provide you with a list of resources that are available to you for screening and treatment.
While the STD screenings are currently only available to gay, bisexual and other MSM, both men and women are still welcome to receive free HIV testing at the agency.
For more information, please call our Health Care Specialist, Keanna Cheeley, at 404.589.9040 or write her at Keanna.Cheeley@PositiveImpact-ATL.org.
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