As a physically disabled person who uses a wheelchair, one of my most uncomfortable moments is when I have to go to the doctor for STI screening or any kind of test.
The doctors never have the right kind of equipment I need to transfer, the room is almost always too small for me as a wheelchair user, and the doctor or testing center never really knows what my needs are. It can be so frustrating.
Not to mention that sometimes, the disability transportation to get to the appointment can be really late or not show up at all. Ugh!
At-Home Testing Ensures Equity for Disabled Folks
As a disabled person, the convenience of having an at home testing kit like the one offered by Q Care Plus to get you started on PrEP is really important. I can stay in the comfort and accessibility of my home; where I have enough space, and I have all the right things I need that make me feel safe.
That’s one part of in-office medical tests that non-disabled queer folks may not understand. Oftentimes, when we go in for testing, it isn’t that the medical staff won’t try to assist you, it’s that because they don’t have the right things for your disabled needs, anything that they might try to do to help in making the test more accessible, might feel unsafe.
This makes the whole idea of testing for disabled queer folk anxiety inducing on a whole other level. As a result of all this anxiety inducing ableism, many hot queer disabled folk don’t bother getting tested at all – and that isn’t okay. We all deserve access to testing that meets our needs – disability or not.
Q Care Plus Accessibility
Let’s look at the accessibility of the Q Care Plus testing package to get you deliciously disabled folks access to PrEP.
Register
First, you register at qcareplus.com.
You can easily create an account online, and I am happy to report that the web accessibility in terms of color contrast is pretty great.
Once you create a profile, they will send you a testing kit. If you have attendant care workers who help you with your day, you can rest assured that the packaging is discrete when it comes to your doorstep.
Receive
From here, you would have to open the box, and deal with simple blood tests and swabs. For this, I would recommend if you work with Personal Support Staff for your needs to be met, that you have a conversation with them about why these tests are important, and how you need their help.
Tell them you are taking control of your sexual health as a disabled person. Don’t worry, I know that broaching swabs and blood with attendants isn’t an easy task, but trust me when I tell you, it is much easier than testing in a doctor’s office.
Repeat
Because testing needs to be done every 3 months, Q Care Plus will send you a new testing kit, so that you can be in charge of your sexual health, and, as a disabled person, that autonomy and independence is key.
Every disabled person deserves access to STI testing and PrEP if they want it, and Q Care Plus is making that access even easier.
Visit qcareplus.com to get started and take control of your sexual health.
