SPOTLIGHTS HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Learn more about Allegheny County’s Public Health Laboratory (https://www.alleghenycounty. us/Services/Health-Department/Clinics-and- Facilities/Public-Health-Laboratory) Expanded At-Home STD Testing Chlamydia and gonorrhea are common sexually transmitted infections. In Allegheny County in 2021, 2,398 cases of gonorrhea were diagnosed, a six percent increase from the previous year. In 2021, the Health Department also confirmed 5,715 cases of chlamydia, a one percent increase from the previous year. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are treatable with medication prescribed by a health care provider. Diagnosing the infection early can help limit the immediate discomfort of symptoms and reduce the spread of the infection to others. Since November 2022, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) has been piloting an at-home chlamydia and gonorrhea testing program to determine the value of more accessible at-home STD testing for residents. Residents can go online to request a test be mailed to their home or go to Hilltop Pharmacy (818 East Warrington Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15210) for assistance in requesting a test. Residents can then provide a sample, mail it back to the laboratory and review their results online in the privacy of their own home. If a resident tests positive for either disease, a member of the Health Department will contact them and provide treatment options and resources, which could include choosing treatment at a community pharmacy.
New Public Health Laboratory Location Knowing what diseases are present and impacting the health of residents in Allegheny County is the primary mission of the Public Health Laboratory. The Public Health Laboratory has outgrown its space in Lawrenceville and will be moving to Marshall Township with an anticipated relocation date of late 2024. In its current location, the Public Health Laboratory has a 12,500-square- foot footprint. The new space will encompass approximately 45,000 square feet. In the new space, the laboratory team will provide a larger number and a wider variety of tests. Funding for the laboratory’s relocation and expansion will not impact property taxes. Allegheny County will fund the project through the American Rescue Plan, which was passed into law during the COVID-19 pandemic and aimed to enhance various public health infrastructures.
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