Finding the perfect health care can be tricky these days. While there are plenty of quality doctors and facilities, health insurance can be a more complex system to navigate. Too many people do not have access to the high quality health care that this, what some would consider to be the most powerful nation in the world, should be able to provide to everyone.
Even those in good health should be able to go in for regular checkups, as life sometimes throws unexpected curveballs, and there are conditions that could easily be overlooked and be allowed to progress unattended to without a regular visit to the doctor. From anonymous STD testing to checks for skin cancer and other potentially devastating health issues, much of the population is missing out on vital care programs.
Anonymous STD testing centers
As a sexually active individual, it is your duty to be responsible with your actions. If you are not in a place to care for a child, make sure you and your sexual partner are on the same page when it comes to birth control. And it is a good idea to periodically get checked for any STDs, particularly if you have many sexual partners, if you are monogamous but your partner has not been, or if you have not been tested in awhile. As there is often a shame or stigma associated with sexually transmitted diseases, or even the mention of them, anonymous STD testing is an attractive option for many. As sexual education and responsibility should be more widespread in general, it is well past time for that stigma to dissipate so that a healthy dialogue and respect can be developed, but as society catches up on that level, find local anonymous STD testing options in the meantime, but make the healthy choice and do it.
Free health clinics in your area
As law and policy makers and society in general struggle to catch up with where we should be as human beings with basic rights and responsibilities to care for ourselves and each other, there are ways to watch out for your health and the health of your family, even if you do not have an ideal healthcare or insurance plan. Many communities have family health care plans designed to help those with lower incomes, and you can often find free clinics where you can go to at least get a basic checkup. Some of these clinics will also periodically offer free screenings for STDs, cancer, or other conditions that may not manifest themselves in the way of symptoms that would have alerted you to a problem. Community health clinics can be vital instruments in keeping you healthy and cared for.
Getting a checkup even if you feel fine
If you haven’t been to the doctor in years, chances are you have saved yourself some money. But if you neglect your regular exams and checkups, you may miss something that could have been easily fixed if it were caught early on, and by letting it progress unchecked, it could in fact end up costing you much more than you saved by not going to that doctor visit.
One such example is your skin. The body’s largest organ, your skin continuously protects your body. However, due to the rise of tanning, as well as the gradual depletion of the ozone layer, the rates of skin cancer have increased by more than three times since 1975. There are of course, multiple factors that lead to skin aging, such as lack of adequate sleep, dehydration, and poor habits like smoking, but doctors have agreed that more so than those factors, sun damage is the main cause of skin aging, accounting for about 80% of it. Visiting your doctor or community clinic will allow you to discuss with a qualified physician the best course of action for you to prevent further damage, not only to your skin, but also to improve your health overall.
The health system in this country needs a major overhaul. It has been predicted that by 2025, we are going to need around 52,000 more primary care physicians than we currently have in order to meet health and medical needs of the people.