As Pride celebrations kick off in Buncombe County, Buncombe County Health and Human Services celebrates inclusivity and highlights the importance of taking care of yourself and others. Services to support everyone’s reproductive health are available in Buncombe County for anyone seeking more information about reproductive health, testing, treatment, and more.
We encourage you to take pride in your sexual health by following simple preventative measures and getting vaccinated and tested often.
There are many ways to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) which, if left untreated, can lead to increased risk of HIV infection, long-term pelvic/abdominal pain, infertility, pregnancy complications, and other serious health problems. Click here to learn more about STIs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are millions of new STI infections in the U.S. every year. While anyone who is sexually active can get an STI, some groups are more affected. These include adolescents and young adults; gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men; pregnant women and infants; and the BIPOC community
How to Prevent STIs
- Use Condoms – correctly using a condom lessens the risk of infection for many STIs. However, you can still get some infections, like herpes or HPV, from contact with your partner’s skin even when using a condom.
- Get Tested – Many STIs don’t have symptoms, but they can still cause health problems. You can talk to your doctor, find a location to get tested for STIs, or visit the Buncombe County STI Testing and Treatment Clinic (see below).
- Get Vaccinated – HPV, or human papillomavirus, is the most common STI. Thankfully, getting the HPV vaccine is a safe and effective way to avoid HPV-related health problems like genital warts and some cancers. Read more about what vaccines you should consider getting and where you can get them.
- Talk With Your Partner – discuss STIs and protective methods before having sex.
- Practice Abstinence – the most effective way to avoid STIs
Buncombe County STI Testing and Treatment Clinic
The great news is that you can take steps toward protection, testing, and vaccination by visiting the County’s STI Testing and Treatment Clinic which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 40 Coxe Avenue in Asheville. Appointments are available by calling 828-250-5109 during clinic hours.
Services offered at the clinic are low or no cost to men, women, transgender, and non-binary individuals. The clinic takes a holistic health approach to STI testing and treatment.
The clinic tests for HIV, hepatitis B and C, herpes (only when rash present), mpox (only when rash present), chlamydia, bacterial vaginosis, syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and yeast infections, and provides treatment for most of these infections when indicated. (Referrals are made for treatment of HIV, Hepatitis B, & Hepatitis C).
In addition, the clinic offers one-on-one consultation with an expert, free condoms, and reproductive health service referrals.
Read more about the clinic by visiting this website.