As our region’s premiere HIV/AIDS organization, we are committed to an individual’s holistic health, especially sexual health. Although government funding for prevention and education has been significantly cut back in the past two years, Desert AIDS Project knows it’s still just as important today to promote sexual wellness in our local community.
One of the best and easiest ways to get the prevention conversation going is testing, which is why we offer free and confidential HIV testing five days a week in at least four Coachella Valley cities. In addition to HIV testing, the main Palm Springs location offers syphilis testing twice a week due to rising rates of infection, particularly amongst gay men.
But what about other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)? As the CDC notes, having an STD can increase a person’s risk of becoming infected with HIV. Where can our community turn to get tested for other STDs? While D.A.P. does not test for all STDs, our knowledgeable staff are able to direct any and all people needing to be tested for other STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes.
If getting tested by your local doctor is not an option (whether out of fear or embarrassment) there are other local resources to turn to:
Riverside County Department of Public Health
Appointment line: 1.800.720.9553
Two locations – one in Palm Springs (right next to us!) and one in Indio
Riverside County STD Program
760.778.2304
Mecca Family Health Clinic
91275 66th Avenue Suite 500,
Mecca, CA 92254
Appointments and Clinic: 760.396.1249
Planned Parenthood-Rancho Mirage
71777 San Jacinto Drive, Suite 202
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
888.743.7526
Planned Parenthood-Coachella
49-111 Highway 111, Unit 6, Suite A
Coachella, CA 92236
888.743.7526
Planned Parenthood-Moreno Valley
12900 Frederick Street, Suite C
Moreno Valley, CA 92553
888.743.7526
Planned Parenthood-Riverside
3772 Tibbetts
Riverside, CA 92506
888.743.7526
Other general information sources are:
The National HIV and STD Testing Resources page, which allows you to input your zip code and find testing centers in your area.
www.HIVtest.org
Palm Springs Gay Men’s Health offers helpful information and connects you to local resources in the Palm Springs area.
There are plenty of resources available on the web and at various sites to become informed about one’s sexual health. Education, prevention and testing are vital tools to protecting one’s health and well-being and are also important steps in decreasing the number of new STD infections. Oftentimes, when your physician administers a health checkup, they don’t always check for STDs, it’s important that you make the request to get tested for HIV/AIDS and other STDs. Be sure to take advantage of local resources and be sure to tell others about these health and wellness tools!
Remember, you can always call or email us with questions about any of this. We try to respond in a timely manner, sometimes, in just a matter of hours!