TABLE OF CONTENTS
Blair Underwood Wellness Center
Wellness Center
Public Health Services
Northwest Medical Clinic
Adolescent Health Center
Conway Health and Resource Center
Family Health and Birth Center
Health and Wellness Center
Center for Infectious Disease Management and Research
Inova Juniper Program
Inova Juniper Program
La Casa Community Health Action Center
Dupont Circle Clinic
Farragut Square Office
Metro Center Clinic
Union Station Clinic
Carol Whitehill Moses Center
Dupont Circle Physicians Group
Montgomery Infectious Disease Associates
Prevention Outreach Wellness Education and Risk Reduction Program
Medical Clinic
Care Center
Columbia Road Health Services
Upper Cardozo Health Center
Southwest Health Center
Anacostia Health Center
New York Avenue Homeless Shelter
Brentwood Health Center
Stanton Road Health Center
Minnesota Avenue Center
Parkside Health Center
East of the River Health Center
Alexandria Health Department
Alexandria Health Department
Fairfax County Health Department
Fairfax County Health Department
1525 Clinic
Max Robinson Center
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the metro area that includes Arlington, the District of Columbia, and Alexandria has fairly high reporting levels for cases of STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. In some cases, only major metro areas, such as New York, Houston, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, report similar or higher numbers. And the HIV prevalence rates in Arlington County are almost double that for the Commonwealth as a whole.
The CDC reported 34,211 chlamydia cases in 2018 for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metropolis. That’s up by 1,000 over the year before. Even more worrisome is the fact that cases documented by the CDC jumped more than 10,000 from 2016 to 2017.
The Virginia Department of Health also keeps numbers for the entire state. In 2018, it recorded 43,695 new chlamydia cases, which means the metro area around Arlington is responsible for a large percent of total cases. Chlamydia tends to impact younger people more in the state. Most of the cases tend to be reported by people aged 15 to 29. African Americans make up more than half of all people diagnosed with chlamydia in the state.
Gonorrhea numbers in the Arlington area tend to be much lower. Around 9,300 new diagnoses of this disease were documented by the CDC for the metro area in 2018. The number went down a tiny amount year over year after more than doubling between 2016 and 2017. Even though gonorrhea case numbers for the area are relatively low when compared to some other major metropolitan areas, the Arlington area has seen a staggering jump since 2014, when the total reported by the CDC was less than 3,000.
Again, when comparing the DC-Arlington metro area with the state as a whole, the area surrounding Arlington accounts for the majority of cases reported by the state. Gonorrhea is also a young person’s disease, with most of the new diagnoses impacting people aged 15 to 34. More than 60% of people with a new gonorrhea diagnosis in 2018 were recorded as being African American.
The CDC’s numbers for primary and secondary syphilis cases indicate the Arlington metro area had around 720 new diagnoses in 2018. The syphilis case rates in the area rose every year between 2014 and 2018, almost tripling over that time period.
The Virginia Department of Health documents early syphilis diagnoses by age and race. Most cases are reported by people aged 20 to 39. More than 50% of newly reported cases in 2018 were for African Americans.
In many cases, the only way to tell you have an STD early on is to get tested. That’s because some of these diseases don’t have any noticeable symptoms at first. However, when left untreated, they can result in serious health consequences in the future. It’s important for anyone who is sexually active to get tested for STDs regularly to best safeguard their own health as well as the well-being of potential sexual partners. The Arlington, VA, area has several non-profit and state-funded clinics that provide low-cost or free STD screening.
The Department of Human Services offers some limited clinical services, including family planning, immunization clinics, and medical case management. It also does limited testing for sexually transmitted infections. Services are available by appointment only, so contact the office before seeking assistance. The clinic sets appointments from 2:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and 7:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. From 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., the clinic provides appointments only to adolescents.
2100 Washington Blvd, FL 2
Arlington, VA 22204
(703) 228-1200
Website
As of late 2020, the Arlington Free Clinic was not taking new patients. Normally, the free clinic holds a monthly lottery to accept a certain number of new patients. Patients of the free clinic can access STD testing services by appointment only. Individuals interested in becoming a future patient should check the clinic’s website for updates.
2921 11th Street South
Arlington, VA 22204
(703) 979-1400
Website
NovaSalud provides testing for hepatitis C, chlamydia and gonorrhea. It also offers free condoms, HIV self-testing kits, and HIV prevention programs, among many other mental and physical health services. Appointments are free, and you can make them generally for hours between 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The clinic also usually takes walk-ins from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, with the exception of holidays and other days when the clinic might be closed.
2946 Sleepy Hollow Road, Suite 3C
Falls Church, VA 22044
(703) 533-1858
Website
Bread for the City is an outreach program that includes food services, a clothing closet, and assistance with social or legal matters. It also offers some healthcare services, including a primary care clinic. According to the organization’s website, it provides examinations, tests and referrals to people even if they can’t pay for services. That does include some STD screenings.
1525 7th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 386-7020
Website
This organization oversees a few youth programs that include HIV and STD prevention measures. This can include free testing, but the programs are targeted at adolescents and young adults. Typically this organization works with people aged 13 to 24.
701B Maryland Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 675-9370
Website