16,000 San Francisco Residents are living with HIV

San Fransisco is one of the leading cities for combating the spread of HIV, having acheived significant reductions in new infections. But there is still a long way to go. One of the most glaring challenges are the disparities in low-income and minority communities, which are faring far worse in rates of transmission and treatment.

“We know that we are not reaching certain communities, so we don’t expect that this is going to be a linear decline,” said Dr. Susan Buchbinder, director of an HIV prevention research unit in DPH. “And it is clear that we need new programs and more work in that area.”

“Our hardest-to-get-tested are our young black males,” said Joi Jackson-Morgan, executive director of 3rd Street Youth Center and Clinic, which recently joined the consortium. “Without symptoms, they are the hardest to get in for regular care.”

According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates, as many as 31,000 youth, or 51% of all total HIV cases in teens and young adults, aren’t aware they are infected with HIV. People ages 13-24 represent the highest rate of undiagnosed HIV.

Public health officials attribute multiple factors as the reason so many young people are not getting tested for HIV. Poverty, lack of proper healthcare access, inadequate sex education, and stigma are all barriers that need to be overcome. A 2012 national survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation discovered that three out of five youths surveyed reported rarely, if ever, hearing about HIV/AIDS or other STDs in the news, and 39% reported that HIV or other STDs hadn’t come up in everyday conversation in the last year.

Private Testing Center exists to provide clear, honest sex education and access to easy, affordable, and discreet STD and HIV testing. We maintain over 60 testing labs in and around the San Fransisco area, so the answers to your sexual health are never more than a short drive away.

Same Day testing is usually available with only a few minutes notice (walk-ins not accepted). And the average lab visit lasts just 15 minutes. We try hard to make it as easy as possible to get the answers you deserve. Schedule a test with us today.