DrThom And Terrence Higgins Trust Launch THT By Post, UK

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 24 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Online medical service DrThom has teamed up with HIV and sexual health charity, Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) to offer a range of sexual health tests and treatments by post (http://www.thtbypost.org.uk). THT by Post aims to make it easier for people to get tested and treated and is designed for anyone who is unable or reluctant to attend a sexual health clinic.

THT by Post is a paid for service which offers testing and treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, testing for HIV and treatment for genital herpes and non-specific urethritis (NSU). The service also offers a free online consultation to assess a man's suitability for impotence treatment and follow-up postal impotence treatment if appropriate. Emergency contraception in advance of need is also available. All the online treatment services let a patient get the treatment they need without meeting a doctor face-to-face.

The tests involve taking either a saliva or urine sample at home and posting it off to a lab to be analysed. The results are given differently depending on the test but most are uploaded to a private, password protected web page, often within two days of the sample arriving at the lab. Those who receive a positive result for chlamydia and gonorrhoea will be sent free antibiotic treatment through the post and can receive medical aftercare from DrThom.

The HIV test can either show a negative or an unclear result. The unclear result will not automatically mean that someone has HIV, but indicates that a full blood test is needed to check. Those with an unclear result will speak to an advisor who can tell them where to go for a follow up blood test.

Peta Wilkinson, Executive Director of Services at Terrence Higgins Trust said "Some people find going to a sexual health clinic inconvenient or embarrassing so we wanted to make it easier for those people to test. This new service is easy and quick to use. We hope that by offering the choice of tests and treatment that you can use at home, we'll be able to bring down the number of people with undiagnosed infections."

These services may be particularly useful for people living in rural areas who find it hard to access GUM services.

Anyone who wants to speak to someone about their diagnosis can call THT Direct for information or support. The tests, treatment and other sexual health services can be ordered online from http://www.thtbypost.org.uk

Notes

Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK's leading HIV and sexual health charity, providing a wide range of services across England, Wales and Scotland. The charity also campaigns and lobbies for greater political and public understanding of the personal, social and medical impact of HIV and sexual ill health.

DrThom is overseen by leading NHS specialists in sexual health and is the only online medical service that is registered with the Healthcare Commission. This means DrThom has been formally assessed to comply with National Minimum Standards of Healthcare.

STI test prices: a postal test for HIV will costs £34. A test for genital chlamydia and gonorrhoea costs £47.99. This includes free postal treatment for anyone who tests positive for either infection. A postal test for HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhoea costs £65. This includes free postal treatment for anyone who tests positive for chlamydia or gonorrhoea using this test.

STI treatment prices: someone who already knows that they or a sexual partner have chlamydia or NSU (non specific urethritis) can request treatment by post from £44.50. Treatment for gonorrhoea starts at £64.50. Someone who already knows that they have genital herpes and wants to prepare for their next herpes outbreak can request treatment from £22.99.

Impotence treatment service: our doctors offer a free online consultation to assess a patient's suitability for oral treatment. If treatment is suitable, the cost of our impotence treatment service is £45 per four tablets. Our doctors can prescribe all three oral treatments for male impotence. Our doctors will prescribe up to 8 tablets as a first prescription. If a patient reports no side-effects and treatment was effective, our doctors will then prescribe up to 16 tablets at a time.

Emergency pill in-advance-of-need-prices: a woman can request the emergency pill (morning-after pill) in advance of need at £25.99.

Terrence Higgins Trust