PA ImagesAre you concerned about your member? Going to the doctors for an STI check can be an intimidating prospect, but it’s a necessity. Now, it’s easier than ever – just send a snap to the doctor.
No, don’t just go and send a nude to your GP. You’ll need to seek out Better2Know, a private sexual health testing provider looking to make the process even less stress-inducing for people worried about a face-to-face appointment.
Patients are able to send images of their symptoms in an email, which will then be looked at by an experienced doctor. However, the photo consultation service costs £160.
PixabayAnthea Morris, co-founder of Better2Know, told The Sun:
Some patients can, understandably, feel a little anxious about getting tested for an STI, especially if it is their first time getting a checkup. Our hope is that the photo consultation service will be the first step for many on a journey towards better sexual health and receiving a diagnosis, advice and treatment where necessary.
In order to make the process as worry-free as possible, patients don’t even need to use their name – they have the option to use a ‘unique PIN number’ to keep their identity concealed. After looking at the images, a doctor will ring up the patient to advise on next steps.
However, they won’t be given a diagnostic test or offered treatment. Instead, they’ll be told whether they need to go to a sexual health clinic to get the appropriate treatment (you also have the option of a self-administered testing kit which can be sent away via post).
PixabayIf you’re confident enough to skip the photo consultation, a face-to-face appointment at a Better2Know clinic costs £50 less at £110. However, it’s hoped the new initiative will boost STI screening figures, which have fallen recently by 85,000.
It’s also hoped the new service will assist with providing people with quick diagnoses, preventing the spread of STIs and, ergo, avoiding further delays in treatment.
PixabayMorris added:
However, STIs do not always produce visible symptoms, so it is important for people who are sexually active to get tested regularly – regardless of whether or not they are experiencing any visible indications of an STI.
According to Public Health England, around 420,000 STIs were diagnosed in 2017. The total number of contacts with sexual health services has also dropped by 245,000 since 2015/16.
For more information on the Better2Know consultation service, click here.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.