Show Salt Lake clinic serves J community Linda Nichols What is the STD clinic It is a division of the Salt Lake County City-County Heal Health Department The il initials STD stand for sexually transmitted diseases more commonly called The clinic is a center for diagnosis and treatment of these diseases All services are fr free e and all records are confidential There are several stages or steps taken when a person goes to the clinic First he is registered and given a number This number is used throughout diagnosis and treatment for iden iden- This helps to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the patient Private office After registration the patient is called into a private office where a nurse will ask questions which will help in diagnosis and treatment These questions will include any inquiries about symptoms and the patients patient's reason for being at the clinic These questions are very important and complete honesty honesty honesty hon hon- esty is essential The patient is then examined and a blood test testis is taken to test for syphilis A culture is taken to test for gonorrhea None of these tests cause pain and the results are available in four to seven days If tr treatment is necessary it will be given at the clinic Standard treatment for both gonorrhea and syphilis is short term penicillin injections For persons allergic to penicillin other antibiotics can be used up Follow-up tests may be necessary necessary necessary sary to determine cure and will also be done at the clinic Lot of teaching Nurses at the STD clinic also do a lot of teaching in their work They answer questions asked by the patients and try to give whatever help is needed The nurses are often asked to speak at local schools teaching about and answering ques ques- The STD clinic is loc located ted in the Salt Lake County City-County Health Department at South East The clinic hours are from noon to four pm p.m. daily All services are free but donations are accepted All records are confidential and parental permission permission permission sion is not required |