UAB Synopsis, Vol. 28, No. 24, June 22, 2009

High Infection Rate in Alabama

UAB’s Personal Health Clinic offers care to patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), filling an important local and regional health care niche.

In Alabama, rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other STDs are consistently high. Because so many infected individuals remain asymptomatic and undiagnosed, the problem is often referred to as a hidden epidemic.

“Individuals reluctant to discuss personal health care issues with their family physician are often equally uncomfortable seeking care at a public health facility,” says clinic Medical Director Jane R. Schwebke, MD. “But failing to diagnose and treat STDs perpetuates a cycle of reinfection, resulting in significant morbidity.”

The clinic’s small, friendly staff emphasizes confidentiality and offers an excellent alternative to individuals concerned with privacy. The clinic provides discreet diagnosis and management of urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, herpes, genital warts, and metronidazole-resistant trichomoniasis and provides contraceptive counseling. Patients who are interested and eligible for ongoing clinical trials can receive examinations and medications at no cost.

Clinic physicians are skilled at guiding individuals through one of the most difficult and often overlooked aspects of STD management — informing and treating sexual partners. “Patients who are uncomfortable discussing their diagnosis can bring their partner into the clinic and have a conversation with their physician in a private setting,” Dr. Schwebke says. “Clinic patients value the continuity of this personalized, compassionate care.”

The Personal Health Clinic is located in the Community Care Building, 1931 9th Ave S. No referral is required. For more information, call 205.966.2780.