binx health and North Dakota Department of Public Health Partner to Combat the Spread of Sexually Transmitted Infections

Boston, MA, February 15, 2022 - binx health, a healthcare technology and diagnostics company that makes routine testing convenient, and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) are working together to combat the spread and support the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Through this collaboration, North Dakota residents ages 14 and older can discreetly obtain an at-home sample collection kit at no cost from a secure web site: https://nddoh.mybinxhealth.com/

“Thousands of people in North Dakota contract STIs each year. The good news is virtually all STIs are treatable, and most are easily cured,” says Lindsey VanderBusch, Director, Division of Sexually Transmitted and Bloodborne Diseases North Dakota Department of Health . “The key is to get tested and know your status so you can get treated early and avoid transmitting the infection to others. This screening method can be done from home thanks to our partnership with binx health.”

This project seeks to provide at-home sample collection kits to individuals at heightened risk of acquiring an STI, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and/or hepatitis C. This includes men who have sex with men, transgender people, people who inject drugs , people experiencing homelessness, people who exchange sex for goods or money, members of the Black, Latinx, American Indian communities, women who are having sex with bisexual males, and others who have had a known or suspected exposure. This project will increase access to STI/hepatitis C testing to reduce the risk and burden of infection by eliminating potential geographic, transportation, and stigma barriers.

To obtain the kit, individuals answer a series of simple questions on the NDDoH’s confidential, HIPAA-compliant sexual health risk assessment. The responses to the assessment help determine what type of STI test is most appropriate for the individual. A North Dakota state licensed healthcare provider specializing in compassionate sexual health and LGBTQ2S+ healthcare will review and, if appropriate, approve the test order, after which the test kit is shipped to the patient. The patient self-collects and returns the sample to a binx partner CAP-accredited and CLIA-certified reference laboratory for testing. A licensed healthcare provider then reviews any positive test results and recommends appropriate treatment options medication prescription, as necessary. In addition to supporting end-to-end testing and follow-up care between the patient and provider, the binx platform incorporates customized workflows to help NDDoH meet state and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) requirements for reporting infections.

“We recognize the private and sensitive nature surrounding STI testing, and that recognition helped to guide the development of this program,” said Jeff Luber, CEO of binx health. “Knowledge is the key to treatment and prevention, and our goal is to help provide North Dakotans with the information they need to make informed decisions and protect themselves and those close to them.”

Through this project, NDDoH enables remote initialization or continuation of PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) services with the binx PrEP kit. PrEP is an HIV prevention method in which HIV-negative people take a daily pill to reduce their risk of becoming infected. When used consistently, PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV-1 infection among adult men and women at very high risk for HIV infection through sex or injection drug use. Use of this medication is coupled with quarterly medical visits that include HIV and STI screening tests and patient evaluation for safety and renewed prescriptions.

About binx health

binx health is a healthcare technology and diagnostics company that makes routine testing convenient by enabling access to care where people live, work, study, and shop. The Company works with large corporate partners and institutions who have access to large patient populations and have a significant interest in delivering or facilitating better healthcare to provide access to and enable more streamlined delivery of diagnostic testing and care. Its omnichannel platform includes the point-of-care* io *platform, which puts central-lab quality testing solutions in the hands of clinicians everywhere, and the Company's suite of physician-mediated and medical guideline-driven, at-home sample collection offerings, which bring high-quality testing, population health tools, and seamless digital integration capability to those unable or unwilling to visit a clinic location.

binx's* io* platform is the first ever FDA-cleared, CLIA-waived point-of-care tool for the detection of chlamydia and gonorrhea from male and female specimens that provides central lab performance results in about thirty minutes. Its platform is highly flexible, easy-to-use, and rapid, offering molecular point-of-care answers at central-lab quality performance and for the first time enabling single-visit test and treatment. For more information, visit www.binx.com.

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