With the passing of the Seattle Gay Clinic, which went out of business in late December, Gay City Health Project has taken over the King County contracts that funded Seattle Gay Clinic and opened its Wellness Center for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and syphilis testing and treatment.
Seattle & King County Public Health had contracted with Seattle Gay Clinic to provide HIV counseling and testing since the late 1980s, and Seattle Gay Clinic consistently demonstrated the highest rate of HIV new cases of any publicly funded clinic in the county; however, Seattle Gay Clinic's operating board decided to end operation at the end of December.
"We're stepping aside to give someone an opportunity to do things better," explained Mike Weidemann, president of the Seattle Gay Clinic board of directors. "We're looking at a way to provide better services to the community. We thought there would be a potential of synergy for education services and testing services under the same roof."
He added that such a combination might also make better use of scarce resources. As a result, Seattle Gay Clinic, which began operating in May 1983, did not apply for grants for year 2004.
Seattle Gay Clinic operated last year three days a week, sharing quarters with the Country Doctor Community Health Clinic at 500 19th Avenue East. When it ended operation it was making appointments with people to treat sexually transmitted diseases (STD) as much as three weeks in advance. Weidemann observed that three weeks is a prohibitively long time for someone with an STD.
Gay City has had overwhelming response since opening its Wellness Center on the west side of Broadway, between Pike and Pine streets, on Feb. 3. The center is open Tuesday through Friday from 3:30 to 8 p.m., and Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m.
"We have the capacity, in terms of the HIV testing, to see roughly 30 to 35 people a week," said Fred Swanson, executive director of the Gay City Health Project. "We've been booked. The first two weeks we were completely booked, every appointment we had."
Within four hours of opening, nearly all the health center's appointments were filled for the week. Walk-in clients are also accepted, and the clinic is looking at how to balance walk-ins with appointments to best serve the community.
"I think its really great," Swanson said of the response. "Our goal was to make testing available at times people could come in and get tested. I think there has definitely been a need for community-based accessible testing outside of normal business hours."
Gay City's mission is to promote gay and bisexual men's health and prevent HIV transmission by building community, fostering communication and nurturing self-esteem. Alcohol and substance abuse also fall within the scope of the mission. It is funded by contracts with Public Health - Seattle & King County through Washington State Omnibus AIDS prevention funding ($48,427) and a Syphilis Elimination grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ($70,501). This funding, and private donations, allow the Gay City Health Project Wellness Center to provide its services free of charge.
In King County, according to Gay City, one in seven men who have sex with men is infected with HIV. Since 1998, new cases of syphilis have been reported in about 360 men who have sex with men locally, a rate more than 150 times higher than in heterosexuals. Among HIV-infected gay men, the rate of syphilis is around 800 times higher than in the heterosexual population. Additionally, the frequency of gonorrhea in gay and bisexual men is about 10 times higher than in the population as a whole.
"Gay City Health Project is one of the first gay community organizations in the country to offer rapid HIV testing," Swanson said. The test produces results in just 20 minutes. "We're proud to be bringing the latest testing technologies to the community, and look forward to expanding the number of appointments available. We're committed to meeting the needs of our community and excited to continue working with Public Health to make this happen."
Gay City is open 25 hours a week for HIV and syphilis testing. Twelve hours a week, Public Health does the screening for gonorrhea and chlamydia. There is no provision for herpes screen at present, but Swanson said the hope is that some liaison can be established with the Link Study, at the University of Washington, which is doing herpes research.
If we are going to turn the tide of rising HIV and STD rates, it's up to us to make this happen," said Brad Bigelow, Gay City's board president. "As a board, we believe our efforts will produce results. It's the right thing to do and we've appreciated our contributors continuing support to help make this happen."
Although walk-ins are accepted, appointments are encouraged. They can be made by calling 860-6969. The health center is at 1513 Broadway.
For more information visit www.gaycity.org.
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