TBD Health, a healthcare startup making STI screening more accessible has announced the opening of its first in-person Care Hub located in Las Vegas. The TBD Care Hub is a dedicated sexual health center offering STI and COVID-19 testing and soon expanding into other sexual health services like birth control, UTI testing and sex coaching. Ultimately, with the Care Hub, TBD will build upon the startup’s mission to empower people to achieve fulfilling sexual satisfaction, find comfort and confidence in intimacy and live their best lives.
“Our vision for the Care Hub is to create a warm, human environment where we proactively address the critical need to provide more accessible STI screening options. Empowering patients and prioritizing their wellbeing in a safe, supportive and judgment-free environment was central to our ethos as a healthcare company,” says co-founder and co-CEO of TBD Health, Stephanie Estey. “We’ve carefully selected our team of top clinicians, who are all sensitivity-trained, trauma-aware and go through the proprietary TBD (re-)training program. We’ve taken into account our personal journeys facing taboos around sex and sexual health, along with our frustration with systemic challenges to seeking care, to create an empowering, immersive and sex-positive care experience.”
“Unlike existing testing centers or doctor’s offices, which are often transactional corporate spaces, we thoughtfully designed the TBD Care Hub as a tranquil, safe haven built around personalized patient support that puts patient priorities at the forefront,” adds co-founder and co-CEO, Daphne Chen. “It’s truly an immersive IRL experience designed to match our online and at-home offering, and we’re proud to roll it out in Las Vegas.”
Recent data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that STI rates in the United States have continued to climb over the last several years, reaching a sixth consecutive all-time high per data reported in 2021. In 2018, Nevada ranked 1st in the nation for its primary and secondary Syphilis rates – and Clark County has the highest rates of Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis in Nevada.
“One major known reason for the continued rise of STI rates in the US is people’s inability to achieve appropriate screening and treatment as needed. TBD Health is honored to offer a more human sexual healthcare experience and support individuals to improve their sexual wellbeing,” says TBD Care Hub’s head clinician, Lori Grant WHNP-BC,CNM. “With TBD Health, we’re empowering people to take control of their sexual health by offering screening for STIs when they need it – eliminating barriers by offering non-judgmental, highly trained personnel both in person and via telehealth so that we can meet people where they are. We are so excited to expand services to include in-person care at our Las Vegas clinic.” The TBD Care Hub will offer patients access to a full menu of STI screening options – ranging from singular tests starting at $40 to comprehensive panels starting at $150, making them significantly more affordable than a traditional doctor’s office or clinic where a panel can cost upwards of $500.