Women-focused telehealth company aims to reduce HIV, STI rates in Louisiana
A national digital health care company is expanding to Louisiana, and the company is looking to curb sexually-transmitted infection and HIV rates across the state.
Nurx, a female-focused digital health care company, is beginning to offer services in Louisiana, including online medical consultations, medication delivery and specialized care. Nurx is available to around 90% of the U.S. population and is now in 31 states and Washington, D.C.
In a press release, Nurx said it's specifically looking to provide more access to HIV PrEP, birth control, and STI testing.
“Louisiana is in the midst of an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases and infections with the second highest Chlamydia infection rate of any state and the third highest rate of Gonorrhea infection," said Nurx CEO Varsha Rao in the release. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Louisiana infection rates have climbed steadily for four years and Nurx is thrilled to be able to help patients access quality healthcare when they need it those most."
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Louisiana has the third least competitive health insurance market in the U.S., according to the 2021 America's Health Rankings Annual Report. Louisiana was also rated the worst for high-risk HIV behaviors, next-to-last for mental health distress and 42nd for clinical care.
The state also ranked low in areas like food security, access to dental care and childhood immunization rates. Louisiana ranked 30th in the rate of uninsured, with 8.9% of residents without health insurance.
In the release, Nurx said it was looking to narrow the health care gap in Louisiana by offering services in areas that lacked specific types of care. In other states, Nurx has provided services to more than 1 million patients and connected them to medical providers for birth control, migraine treatment, STI testing and treatment, herpes treatment, HIV prevention and prescription skincare, among others.
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The Louisiana Department of Health has identified HIV transmission and the STI epidemic as an area of concern for the state. In a 2016 report, the department pointed to several factors — poverty, isolation, social stigma and others — for why the state has struggled combating these public health issues, particularly in communities of color and in the LGBTQ community.
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In its release, Nurx said it has seen substantial growth since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased reliance on telemedicine services for many patients across the U.S. Prior to the pandemic, the company was a leader in providing contraception, but it added new services like migraine treatment, prescription skincare for acne, anti-aging and rosacea, and home COVID-19 testing.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Nurx telehealth company looking to combat HIV, STIs in Louisiana
