Free, convenient sexual health walk-in clinics with sex-positive culture and targeted outreach to key populations represent an approach that could be adapted and expanded to support the public health mission of controlling STI spread.
STI incidence has been increasing in recent years despite most STIs being effectively treatable or curable with inexpensive medications.
Modifications in the model of STI care in the United States contribute to rising STI trends.
Barriers to diagnosis and treatment are identified as contributing factors to the increasing burden of STIs.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation's sexual health Wellness Centers incorporate free and convenient services with large volume capacity as core program characteristics.
A sex-positive culture and advertisement of available resources are identified as key components of the Wellness Center approach.
Accessibility to key populations at higher risk for STI acquisition is a defining feature of the Wellness Center model.
The authors conclude that the Wellness Center experience could be adapted and expanded to other settings.
This research describes a programmatic approach to addressing rising rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States, developed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. The paper identifies three key reasons why STI rates continue to climb despite being largely preventable and treatable: changes in how STI care is organized in the U.S. healthcare system, practical barriers that prevent people from getting tested and treated, and a lack of targeted prevention messages reaching the people who need them most. In response to these challenges, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation developed sexual health Wellness Centers — walk-in clinics that offer free STI testing and treatment without appointments, serve high volumes of patients, maintain a non-judgmental sex-positive environment, actively advertise their services, and specifically focus on reaching populations most at risk for STIs. The paper describes these features as working together to lower the threshold for people to seek care, particularly those who might otherwise avoid traditional healthcare settings due to stigma, cost, or inconvenience. This research suggests that the Wellness Center model represents a scalable and adaptable approach to STI prevention and control that could be replicated in other communities and healthcare systems. While the paper does not present clinical trial data or outcome statistics, it frames the program as a practical response to well-documented public health failures, arguing that removing financial and logistical barriers while reducing stigma can help bring STI trends under control.
Avelino-Silva V, Goncalvez A, Engeran W, Boudreau L, Weinstein M, Benzaken A. (2025). Expanding access to STI care with free of charge, convenient services in sexual health walk-in clinics.. International journal of STD & AIDS. https://doi.org/10.1177/09564624251325310