Male Services: What to expect during a visit to Augusta Family Planning

As with other medical offices, you will be required to fill out paperwork regarding your medical history, income and/or insurance. If you do not have medical insurance or choose not to use your insurance, you will need to pay for your services at the time of your visit. The cost is based on your household income, and is very affordable.

Counseling

Next, you will meet with a Family Planning specialist who will counsel you and answer any questions you may have. Everything that you discuss is confidential, with the exception of reports of abuse or neglect.

We know that it might feel uncomfortable or embarrassing to discuss some issues. However, the more information you share with us, the better we are able to help you. If you have any questions or concerns about your body, sex, birth control, or any other topic, please feel free to ask the specialist.

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)/Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Screenings

Men come to Family Planning for several reasons. They may be experiencing symptoms and suspect an STD/STI. Some men have never been tested or they recently changed partners, and want to rule out the presence of STDs/STIs. Sometimes people are notified by another agency, such as the CDC (Center for Disease Control) that a previous sexual partner was diagnosed with an STD/STI (like Gonorrhea or Chlamydia), and the agency has instructed the man to also get tested and treated.

The test only requires a urine sample, and nothing is inserted into the penis. The urine sample is sent to an outside laboratory, and the test results take about 2-3 weeks to come back. The specialist asks each client how they prefer to be contacted in order to protect the client’s privacy.

If your test came back positive, Family Planning would contact you and instruct you to return for the necessary medications to treat the infection. It is important for any recent or current partners to get tested and treated as well, so the infection is not passed back and forth to one another or to other people.

A Visit with the Nurse Practitioner

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) is available to see people who are experiencing some sort of genital symptoms (lumps or bumps on the penis or scrotum, for example). The NP would talk with you about what symptoms you are experiencing and how long you have had them.

She would do an examination, which means she would look at your genital area, check for swollen glands, changes in the skin, or discharge from your penis. If necessary, the NP would then discuss testing and treatment options with you. She may also show you how to do a self-testicle exam (STE), which is helpful in screening yourself for warning signs of testicular cancer.

At the Family Planning Association of Maine in Augusta, we will do our best to make your visit efficient and beneficial. Please call (207) 626-3426 to make an appointment today.

Be healthy, be safe!

An Important Note:

All staff members are mandated reporters.

Therefore, we are required by law to report any abuse or neglect of a minor, which includes any sexual activity for children 14 years old or younger.

We are also required to report any knowledge of a person’s intent to harm themselves or someone else.

HIV Testing

We also offer HIV testing, which is done with an oral swab. The test results take only 20 minutes, so you would be informed of the results almost immediately without having to return or wait a couple of weeks for the results. The CDC now recommends that testing for HIV become a routine part of medical care, just like an annual physical. Remember, if you have unprotected sex with even one partner or share needles, you have placed yourself at risk for contracting HIV and should be tested.