TBD Health's new Denver clinic aims to destigmatize sex
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TBD Health is taking a lesson from Salt-N-Pepa's playbook: When it comes to sex, "tell it how it is — and how it could be."
State of play: The company's new clinic in Denver — only its second in the nation — seeks to destigmatize sexual health and reframe the discussion in positive terms.
- TBD Health positions itself as a specialist, like an urgent care for sexual health, and offers gender-inclusive and nonjudgmental care ranging from birth control to intercourse coaching.
Why it matters: This is not an ordinary visit to the doctor — and that's what makes the New York-based company stand out in the local health care marketplace.
What they're saying: "We believe that TBD is transformational in what we are doing," says Stephanie Estey, a co-founder and Boulder native.
- "It's really about having a conversation about sex. And having the conversation about sex in a very open way."
The intrigue: This new approach comes at a time when sexually transmitted infections are reaching new levels in Colorado, at 39,647 reported cases in 2021. That year also saw the highest rates of gonorrhea and syphilis ever in the state, according to public health officials.
- "There's a real public health crisis that is bubbling under the surface that people aren't talking about," Estey adds.
Zoom in: Beyond same-day STI testing, HIV treatment and contraception services, TBD Health offers services at its Ballpark neighborhood location that you won't find at most primary care clinics, including a couples room that allows partners or friends to get tested together.
- Clinicians also ask about the mental and emotional side of sex as part of the clinic's multidimensional approach.
Between the lines: One reason the group targeted the Denver market is because Colorado is in the minority of states that don't require sexual education in school, company officials said.
- And our neighbor states are more conservative, in some cases seeking to limit sexual expression and reproductive health care.
Of note: TBD Health is currently cash-only, but is working toward accepting Medicaid and other insurances.