Access to STI Testing

Overview

Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. (CCHCI) is collaborating with The Body Agency Collective and Visby Medical to improve sexually transmitted infection (STI) diagnosis and treatment along the U.S.-Mexico border. The collaboration will utilize Visby’s new Sexual Health Click Test, the first all-in-one diagnostic to make use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, for the detection of three of the most common STIs in women: chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomonas. Early detection and treatment of STIs are critical to avoid serious and potentially permanent complications in women, and CCHCI is among the first healthcare providers in the country to utilize this new technology.

In the rural, binational community of Cochise County, there is a high prevalence of STIs. Therefore, there is joint prioritization of STI infection control between local Cochise County Health officials and those in Agua Prieta, Mexico. While STI testing typically takes 2-5 days to return results, Visby’s device shrinks PCR technology to palm-sized dimensions, enabling CCHCI to deliver accurate results in less than 30 minutes for those who need it most. Additionally, TBAC will be providing their Dignity Kits for CCHCI patients in need that include sanitary items and menstrual products, including pads, reusable cups, and period underwear.

Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc.

Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. (CCHCI) is a mission driven Federally Qualified Health Center and a tax exempt not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Founded in 1996 as a small, rural health clinic operating in a community center, CCHCI has since grown to become the largest primary care organization in southeastern Arizona, serving more than 30,000 patients annually. CCHCI operates fourteen fixed-site medical clinics, and seven mobile-medical and mobile-dental units, that serve patients throughout the more than 6200 square mile borderlands of Cochise County.

Visby Medical

Visby Medical is transforming diagnosis and treatment for infectious diseases so clinicians can test, talk with, and treat the patient in a single visit. Their proprietary technology development program culminated in the world’s first instrument-free, single-use PCR platform that fits in the palm of your hand and rapidly tests for serious infections. Originally developed for sexually transmitted infections, the Company’s FDA-cleared, CLIA-waived Sexual Health Click Test for women returns accurate results within 28 minutes. The technology is also helping to fight the global pandemic via Visby Medical COVID-19 Test, and its robust pipeline includes tests for other infectious diseases. They are accelerating the delivery of fast and accurate, palm-sized PCR diagnostics to the point of care, and eventually for use at home.