Black Hawk County Public Health

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Clinic Services

Black Hawk County Public Health Center offers confidential STI/HIV testing, treatment, and education.
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‍Clinic Location ‍

Public Health Center
The Pinecrest Building, 5th Floor
1407 Independence Avenue, Waterloo
Call 319-291-2413 for an appointment. Walk-in welcome.
Monday – Thursday
8:30 – 11:30 am & 1:00 – 4:00 pm

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Satellite Locations
Bremer County Public Health
403 3rd Street SE, Waverly
2nd & 4th Wednesdays of the month
8am -4:30 pm
Call 319-291-2413 for an appointment. Walk-in welcome.

ACE-SAP Free Clinic
207 Logan Avenue, Waterloo
Most Wednesdays and Thursdays (see Spring 2022 schedule)
Call 319-291-2413 for an appointment. Walk-in welcome.

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‍Eligibility requirement /Cost
‍Services are provided free of charge to anyone seeking STI/HIV testing. A fee of for service may be charged for certain requested test. The clinic staff will review this information with you prior to testing.  

Types of Testing Offered

• Chlamydia
• Genital Herpes
  Testing can only be done on a current blister like sore in the area of the genitals
• Gonorrhea
• Hepatitis B
  Available for people who are HIV positive, are men who have sex with men, have a history of IV drug use, or for persons with referral from blood or plasma center.
• Hepatitis C
  Available to anyone seeking STI/HIV testing who was born between 1945-1965, or has a history of IV drug use, and does not know their Hep C status.
• HIV
• Syphilis
• Trichomonas
  Vaginal swab or a sample of urine is sent to the state hygienic laboratory, or rapid testing can be done onsite in the clinic for persons with a vagina.

How to participate
‍The Public Health Center Clinic is held at the Black Hawk County Health Department located at
1407 Independence Ave 5th FL, in Waterloo, Iowa. Satellite locations also available (see above.)
Clinic offers walk-in services, on a first come first serve basis, or appointments can be scheduled. Parking is available in the front parking lot. Registration staff will guide you through the process of the paperwork.

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What to expect

• Front reception staff will provide you with a number, registration form to complete and guide you to the waiting area.
• Registration staff will call your number, take you to private office and complete the registration process.  
• A nurse will take you to a private room and review your medical history. During this time, you may discuss any concerns. The nurse will also answer any questions you may have and discuss testing options.
• You will then see the clinician who will discuss your care and offer an examination. During the examination, the clinician will explain everything that is being done and why.
• Based on your discussion with the clinician and your examination, the clinician may decide to treat you at your visit before your results come back.
• If any tests come back positive and the Clinician has not treated you, the nurse will call you and inform you of your results and arrange a time to return to the Health Department for treatment.

How long does it take
‍Expect your visit to take a minimum of 30 minutes. As clients are seeking STI services, there may be problems that arise causing a longer wait. Please understand we will spend as much time with you as needed.

Condoms

• Free condoms are available at the front desk or through your clinic visit.
• Condom locator- find free condom resources closest to you
• Condoms by mail- Order free condoms to be mailed to your home.

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‍HIV Prevention

PrEP stands for Pre Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV prevention; it is a new and vital part of overall HIV risk reduction. By taking a medication (Truvada) every day, PrEP clients can lower their risk of contracting HIV by nearly 98%. This treatment program has been made available for those who are vulnerable for acquiring HIV from risky sexual or injection drug practices as well as those who have an exclusive relationship with an HIV (+) partner.

‍How to enroll

• Ask clinic staff for more information about PrEP
• IowaTele PrEP: In-home (or wherever you want to be) telemedical delivery model for PrEP in Iowa

Eligibility requirements
You must be HIV negative AND at increased risk of HIV exposure

What to expect
‍Clinic staff will review your risk of HIV exposure and provide you with information about the program. A referral for the PrEP program can be made by clinic staff or self referred. PrEP takes commitment from you and ongoing monitoring from your PrEP team.
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Participating in the PrEP program through partnerships with Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) and the Black Hawk County Health Department provides you with:

• Medication monitoring to watch for dosing patterns and side effect
• Risk-reduction counseling
• Regular STD screening and treatment
• HIV Screening (rapid testing)
• Hepatitis C screening (rapid testing)
• Immunization status review and update, as needed (Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B)