A recently opened health clinic in Chambersburg has begun providing free examinations and testing to residents in the area.

Chambersburg’s Keystone Community Outreach opened its doors this past August with the goal of providing free health services in an area where the number of people infected with sexually transmitted diseases started to skyrocket.

Program director for Keystone’s STD/HIV program, Diane Morrow, said this fact, as well as the lack of a previous free clinic in the Chambersburg area, spurred Keystone Health to open Keystone Community Outreach.

In addition to HIV and STD testing, the clinic offers multiple family planning services and assists couples in making decisions on contraceptives. Women can also visit the clinic for its “Healthy Woman” program, offering free breast examinations and Pap smears to all women in attendance.

“Our goal is [that] people can come in and get the services without a lot of hoopla,” Morrow said. “We really try to make this a barrier free place for people to come to get treatment.”

Morrow stressed the importance of remaining protected, and said it is imperative to be tested immediately if you had unprotected sex.

“It’s great to get tested if you’ve ever had unprotected sex, even if you don’t have any symptoms,” Morrow said.

“This is a critical kind of epidemic and very prevalent right now,” Morrow said.

In regard to family planning, Morrow said different kinds of contraception are more suitable based on a couple’s personality types or lifestyles. However, Morrow said a decision on contraception should be made with input from both partners.

“The male should be just as involved in making a decision on what contraception is the best option,” Morrow said.

Because health insurance is not a requirement to receive care, the clinic operates in large part from funding received from the state and federal government. Morrow said young adults also have the option of forgoing their parents’ insurance if they wish to keep their medical history at the clinic private.

“We strive to provide a very welcoming atmosphere, and if people have questions or worries we really want them to come,” Morrow said.

Keystone Community Outreach provides office hours Monday through Friday, as well as Tuesday evenings at Keystone Family Medicine. The clinic also visits Shippensburg University’s Etter Health Center twice a month to provide SU students with HIV and STD testing.

Keystone’s clinic will be visiting SU next on Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone with additional health or family planning questions is encouraged to visit or call the clinic during its hours of operation, or visit its website at www.keystonecommunityoutreach.org.

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