This is why sexually transmitted diseases spread so quickly among older people
The number of sexually transmitted diseases is increasing rapidly among seniors over 65.
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PS Test, a free clinic in Palm Springs that tests for and treats sexually transmitted diseases, has had to reduce its hours because its grants expire in July.
What are the current opening hours?
PS Test currently has reduced hours during the summer, said CEO Dr. Phyllis Ritchie. The clinic is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Ritchie said she plans to return to normal hours in the winter.
Related: Free STI testing and treatment clinic now open in Palm Springs
What is a PS test?
PS Test is a health clinic that offers free testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.
The Palm Springs clinic, located at 140 N. Luring Drive, Suite D, has been in operation in the city for three years.
What services are offered?
PS Test provides the following services free of charge:
- Gonorrhea testing and treatment
- Chlamydia testing and treatment
- Syphilis testing and treatment
- Rapid early HIV treatment and linkage to care
- Starting PrEP and connecting to medical care (taking HIV medications to reduce the risk of HIV infection)
- Hepatitis C testing and connection to medical care
Patients can also use the services anonymously if they wish. According to the managing director, 2,000 patients were treated in the clinic last year.
Ritchie said the clinic is not just a place to test and treat sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), but a place that hopes to “lower STI rates and thereby lower HIV rates.”
“We were never just about sexually transmitted diseases. We were always about ending the syndemic,” Ritchie said. A syndemic occurs when two or more diseases or health conditions cluster and interact due to social and structural factors and inequalities within a population, according to HIV.gov.
According to Riverside University Health System-Public Health, the syphilis rate per 100,000 residents in Riverside County increased from 4.6 in 2009 to 16.7 in 2019. The gonorrhea rate increased from 698 per 100,000 residents in 2009 to 4,003 per 100,000 in 2019, while the chlamydia rate increased from 5,835 per 100,000 residents in 2009 to 12,303 per 100,000 in 2019.
According to a 2022 Riverside County report, there were 7,226 people living with HIV in the Coachella Valley. The prevalence rate of people living with HIV in Palm Springs/North Palm Springs (7,684.1 per 100,000) is 21 times higher than the rate in California as a whole (352.8 per 100,000). According to the county, nearly 100 new HIV cases were diagnosed annually in the Coachella Valley between 2013 and 2022.
What impact does a lack of funding have on the PS test?
Ritchie said the clinic ran out of funding from three grants totaling about $180,000 a year at the end of July. As a result, the clinic reduced its hours, and Ritchie and her husband began using their own funds in the meantime.
“It was significant, but we’re doing OK,” Ritchie said, adding that the clinic will apply for more grants.
Despite the change in financial situation, Ritchie said closing the clinic was never an option due to the needs of patients and staff.
Jeff Taylor, a Palm Springs resident and executive director of the local organization HIV+ Aging Research Project, said the clinic provides a safe place where people can talk to health care providers about their sexual health without feeling judged.
“In the HIV community, people already have basic care, but they may not feel comfortable talking to their doctor about their sexual health,” Taylor said. “There is still a lot of HIV stigma, so many HIV-negative people don’t want to say they need PrEP or an HIV test because they’ll be told they’re too old or they shouldn’t know any better.”
The free service is also a bonus for those who may be uninsured or lack extra money to pay bills and copays, as well as the availability of appointments, he added. Taylor said he was contacted by a sexual partner who was exhibiting symptoms commonly associated with syphilis and was unable to get a test appointment at his regular clinic. Taylor then suggested they go to PS Test. They were able to get an appointment the same day and were treated before the test results came in, which ended up being negative, he said.
Palm Springs resident Jim Walker, a gay porn actor, has also benefited from PS Test’s services. He said he needs to get tested regularly for work, but there have been times when he feared he might have contracted an STI.
“There are no questions asked. They come in, they test you, they treat you. Unlike some places, you don’t have to wait four or five days and then wonder, ‘Okay, was that a positive test? Do I have something?'” Walker said. “That’s super important because otherwise there are people in the community who might have contracted something … and people are spreading things.”
How can I help?
Anyone interested in learning more about PS Test can visit www.healthypstest.org, call 760-299-6487 or 503-299-6487, or email [email protected]. Ritchie said community members can also donate on the clinic’s website.
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @ema_sasic.
