Illinois: Testing It Out; New Sexual-Health Clinic Is Helping Gay Teens "Respect Themselves and Respect Their Bodies"

The Howard Brown Health Clinic (HBHC) is hoping to help gay teens navigate the sometimes-awkward area of sexual health with its Wednesday evening Youth Sexual Health Clinic, which offers free and confidential HIV testing and STD screening. Though HBHC has always offered such testing for the gay and lesbian population, the new clinic, funded in part by the Chicago Department of Public Health, caters to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 12 through 24.

The clinic uses a peer-based approach to testing by employing counselors who themselves are young adults. Since its January opening, the clinic has provided STD and HIV testing for more than 100 clients, and more than 50 youths have received STD treatment or reproductive health services. Parental consent is not required, and treatment is free for those with an STD diagnosis.

Dr. Robert Garofalo, the clinic's director of youth services, said there are no heterocentric assumptions made by his staff. "As an openly gay male pediatrician, I really think a lot can be said for the cultural sensitivity that comes with being able to seek services at a clinic in a community known for being LGBTQ-friendly," said Garofalo. At the clinic, he said, young people can "discuss who they are and what they're doing without the fear of being judged or that their privacy will be jeopardized."

"You can see a change in their confidence level and ability to speak their mind," Letty Martinez, a peer HIV counselor at the clinic, said of the clients. "That definitely translates to healthier choices and healthier bodies."

HBHC is located at 4025 N. Sheridan Rd. in Chicago. For more information, telephone 773-388-1600.

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