Men’s Wellness Center

Getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases should be a regular part of any sexually active person’s routine, but the process can often be time-consuming or expensive. That was especially the case if you lived in an outer borough like Brooklyn, where you may have to travel farther—or pay more—to receive necessary medical services. But recently things have improved.

The non-profit AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which recently opened the Out of the Closet Thrift Shop on Atlantic Avenue, is hoping to fix that situation with a brand-new sexual health clinic in downtown Brooklyn. The Men’s Wellness Center (44 Court St, FreeSTDCheck.org) is a partnership with local nonprofit Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD) and offers HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia screening. The clinic is also able to connect those who test positive to a proper medical provider, and all services are completely free.

“There are several reasons we decided to partner with GMAD in Brooklyn,” explains AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Regional Director, Michael Camacho. “GMAD has a long history of service provision for gay men of color in the New York area. Although Brooklyn’s gay community continues to grow at an exponential rate, HIV/STI services for gay men do not. And the location is convenient to individuals living in Brooklyn or lower Manhattan too.”

Currently, the Wellness Center is open on Wednesdays from 5pm to 8pm with additional hours possible in the future. They take walk-ins, and if Brooklyn Heights isn’t your ‘hood, one-minute HIV testing is also available at the Out of the Closet Thrift Store.