- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
San Francisco City Clinic
Rating Details »
Category: Medical Centers [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMA356 7th St
(between Cleveland St & Harrison St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 487-5500
- Hours:
Mon. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Tue. 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wed. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Thu. 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- By Appointment Only:
- No
25 reviews for San Francisco City Clinic
When you've got weird stuff going on around the parts of you you don't even show your momma, SF City Clinic is there to save the day. The $10 donation is completely optional--I forgot about it until I left and they never pointed it out to me. And they'll help you out regardless of whether you have insurance or not (I think they ask you just for statistical purposes).
BTW, free clinics are definitely not the place to go trying to cozy up to anyone.
[Me, looking at informational sheets on different STDs and BV]
Strange older asian guy (talking in Chinese): Is this your first time?
Me [looking over, nods]: ...
Asian guy: Are you still in school?
Me: no [Pays really close attention to the more serious disease sheets hoping I'll get left alone]
First of all, it is a great STD test clinic. I took the test few months ago, and actually I got positive result of chlamydia. Yea, I was kinda surprised, but thanks to the doctors, I wasn't shocked so much. They are very kind, friendly and polite. My doc explained very very well and told me what's the disease, how to cure it and how to start birth control as well. I got two medicines for me and my boyfriend. Also they offered other venereal disease, such as HIV. Well, the doc who took my blood missed a shot once and I got anemic, but he was really sorry and gave a bed to lay down and an apple juice to me. LOL which was nice.
Anyway, the best thing was that everything was free. I mean FREE. The tests, medicines and everything else. On the top of that, they even gave $10 to me as "Thanks for comming"
oh, I had never experienced such thing. I went to see a doc, and got money. I didn't think it happend in the U.S. at all, honestly.
I will certainly go back in few months.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (4)
Nurse Q: "Have you ever been paid for sex?"
Me A: "Well my normal rate is $150/hour, but $130 for you."
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (5)
- Cool (2)
Good Vibrations sells 1 oz packets of ID Glide for 75 cents each. So I calculate that I once walked out of the SFCC with over $50 of free lube.
That just comes along with a $10 dollar check up! Sweet. Staying healthy literally pays for itself.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (3)
The people who work here are some of the nicest nurses I have ever met. Even if I leave the clinic with potentially bad news, I have a smile on my face because everyone is so pleasant and understanding.
The only reason I didn't give five stars is because I was misdiagnosed once by Dr. Elen. But other than that they've been great for a free clinic.
Get a little of this?
~o ~o ~o
~o ~o ~o
~o
Get a lot of that...
_______
| Test |
| |
| |
|______|
And hope you don't come out with one of these: +
(created live at Socha)
People thought this was:
- Useful (52)
- Funny (95)
- Cool (60)
Very clean and nice facilities despite what has been said here. Come up and say you don't have symptoms and you'll get pushed way back in the line (even if you showed up first). Also won't do HIV test if you're not high risk. Nurse was very nice and welcoming, men at the front not so much...but for $10 this place is great and a very nice city resource.
Bottom line: this place isn't for general check-up testing. Only go if you're SURE you have symptoms/something to check out.
oh, and the movie they show is fucking hilarious.
I come from Los Angeles and if you don't have insurance in Los Angeles you are sent to a dungeon of a waiting room where you will wait 4 to 5 hours...let's try that again so it sticks, 4 to 5 hours to get seen and then another 2 to 3 hours to get your meds which you will still have to pay for.
Once I saw this guy get his number called and he jumped in the air like he was a contestant on a game show and he had won something which in this case was the privilege to see a doctor.
I was SO AFRAID of getting tested. But City Clinic takes the cake, it really does. I waited for about an hour and I got there pretty late in the afternoon like around 1:30 on a Friday, I do recommend you get there early though because I did see people get turned down. The guy at the desk made me laugh, I went from being tense to really comfortable in seconds.
The doctor who saw me Tamara was AMAZING, she explained everything in detail to make me more comfortable and after my self diagnosis we both had a giggle at my expense. Turns out I had a yeast infection. I had sworn it was not a yeast infection. How did I know? Who knows, but googling pictures of STD'S will get you nowhere JUST GET TESTED!
I then waited in the waiting room for 5 minutes. Attempted to pay the $10 suggested donation. The guy at the desk said "You don't have to!"
I did anyway.
My number was called, they gave me a Diflucan pill FREE of charge, I was cured in a day. Oh and you check your results privately online so there is no shame in your game.
Take that Los Angeles!
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (4)
This is one of those places that, despite the fact going is insanely uncomfortable and frustrating (sometimes downright scarry!) - it still get's five STRONG stars.
It takes hours to get all the way through the process. The guy next to you is a crackhead or wannabe pimp that smells like a combination of urine and sour milk. You have to show your bits to a stranger. They stick you with needles. And they don't even turn the TV on in lobby.
BUT: It's there. And it costs $10.
For a city clinic, this place is really kinda nice.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (3)
Even coming here on a Wednesday afternoon I was in and out MUCH faster than I though possible. Everyone was super professional, super confidential and super fast and thorough.
I will say that some of the questions put me off a little bit but then again it's not often that someone asks me: "Have you ever accepted money or drugs in exchange for sex?"
Me: "No"
*looking at my workout clothing sans makeup clad self and thinking "Don't I usually get asked that when I'm out at a club?"*
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (8)
- Cool (4)
This is a great place to catch up on reading.
To quote Strangers With Candy, "Penicillin is nature's condom."
p.s. Big pills for CHEAP!
People thought this was:
- Useful (9)
- Funny (17)
- Cool (10)
It's always a great day when you can go get tested on a whim.
Took a female co-worker with me (I refuse to go alone to a public clinic) and walked into the non-descript building. Both of us were feeling rather tense about our current sexual situations (no sexual tension between us, thankfully).
After answering some preliminary questions, I was escorted to an examination room and a friendly nurse practitioner asked me questions my mother would slap me for: sexual preference, type of sex, how often, even so much as asking how often I take it up the bum or slut it up.
Very thorough, if you get my drift.
Post exam, I was "counseled" by a very animated STD counselor, and offered a total free for-all at the condom rack.
I'm talking candy store-esque condom rack. I felt like an obese child running around the Wonka factory. Except much more sexually. In the vanilla sense; none of this Augustus Gloop/chocolate/fetish imagery.
Had my blood drawn by this Latin chica. Total Miami 40ish. Big hair, dangly earrings and overly tanned skin. We loved her.
PLUS SIDE: All the results other than HIV are online. Really discrete and easy to find.
DOWN SIDE: HIV IS NOT ONLINE. THEY HAVE TO CALL YOU.
People thought this was:
- Useful (6)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
Perfect place to get a bag full of condoms, for free.
Perfect place also to get free testings if you sleep around too much or if you can't remember what you did last night due to alcohol blackout.
Not that I would know what that is...i'm just saying.
On a more serious note, this place is truly great. Yeah, you have to wait. Yeah, that's annoying. But dealing with helpful staff and professional facilities is so worth it. People there make you feel at ease, provide all the information you need and seem to really care about your health.
I'm not wishing anyone to get a STD just to check this place out, but if you're dealing with the stress of not knowing or other similar problems, do stop by there asap.
People thought this was:
- Useful (14)
- Funny (16)
- Cool (12)
This place is like the dmv meets your gyno's office. You're given a number then you wait until you're called. I showed up when they opened and my wait was about an hour. By the time I left it was pretty packed, so I'd definitely suggest showing up early, maybe even before they open. Bring a book because you will definitely have time to read
The nurses were cool and professional. their questioning was really um, in depth (Have you ever been paid for sex? oh don't make me laugh) i got my meds there too so added bonus. I love the baskets of condoms in every exam room. So overall, a pretty good experience
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
Just as I go to the dentist to get my teeth checked, so do I also visit the San Francisco City Clinic to get my, ugh....hmmm, well you can guess what checked. Get there early so you don't have a terribly long wait, but the staff is very efficient, and it's not cost prohibitive.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
There is no good health care system in this country.
City Clinic gives you hope that good health care can happen. They take privacy quite seriously, and your health even more seriously, which is more than I can say for the likes of Kaiser Permanente.
City Clinic does appointments for check ups and such, they do them on a sliding scale. The Dr I had was utterly professional, really nice and behaved in a way that made me believe that she went into medicine to prevent illness and help people. It in fact seemed as though it was important to her!
Indeed.
Having had Kaiser for so many years and now finding myself uninsured I hadn't realised that I would be better treated by the Department of Public Health than by the insurer I was paying money to.
A small modicum of faith that the health care system may someday be a good system. The people at this place go a long, long way towards that.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
Have to agree with many of the posters here: it's clean (for a public clinic), it's cheap, and staff are pretty friendly and no-nonsense, which probably helps to boost their efficiency ratings.
It was suggested that I come here by my doc's office as they were closing for the holidays - imagine that. Anyway, I diagnosed for the gift that kept on giving (NGU) - not my idea of a Merry Xmas, but it's the situation I found myself in and not exactly a total surprise. I was treated with doxycycline, which cleared the matter on the 8th day, but reappeared on the 9th. On the second visit, I was given zithromax - didn't do a thing. At this point, it was time for a visit to my regular doc. I provided him my med record from the City Clinic, we by-passed 'the interrogation', and presto! Diagnosis: something slightly different. Third perscription: vantin - this is a drug that cost me $10 each pill (luckily there's only 2), the cost of each of my vists to City Clinic. Non-responsive. Next pill, ciprofloxacin.
City Clinic received stars for hygiene, friendliness, and efficiency. CC also has a convenient 'care package' (meds) for partner(s) that unwittingly got involved - didn't need this since I took myself out of the 'avail' pool. And it's a great resource for those in a bind. But a star was deducted for a diagnosis that remained unspecified and recommended treatment that's more consistent with clamydia, at least according to my reg doc.
Update 4/5/09: After all that, I was finally referred to a specialist (I saw 2, both a urologist), who prescribed yet another pill, macro bid (had a reaction, so took me off it). Doc stated it was an organ issue. 3 mos later, most of the symptoms are either gone or fading + am returning back to new. Whew!
This place hasn't been renovated since it opened during the Kennedy Administration except for the new flat screen tvs they got to show movies and fun Safe Sex videos like "Safe in the the City" which seems like an updated version of those cheesy afterschool specials we watched as a kid.
The staff are very professional and age appropriate. Unlike the clinic on 17th Street in the Castro, they have hip nurse practitioners working as opposed to someone who looks like your mom which can be unnerving when answering "how many sex partners have you had in the last year?" Um, um, I didn't do it mom, I swear!
They have you back and forth, up and down for getting your number, for check in, for STD test then back and up again for the HIV test. You get some excercise in while you're there. They key is to get there early!
If they open at 8, get there at 745, if they open at 1, 1245 otherwise your wait may seem like forever and you won't get any of the good magazines
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
This place is doing a great service for the citizens of SF. Get your junk checked out for $10! Suggested donation of $10 that is.
Bottom line is it's a clean, decent place to go much needed services for very cheap. It was recommended to me to show up before they open which I did, and I was second in line (to someone wearing their clothes from the night before, not looking to hot; I bet they'd give it 5 stars). I was in an out in about half hour for an STD test. The privacy was pretty good,e except it was weird peeing into a cup in the lobby bathroom, then sitting back down with said pee and waiting in the lobby until they called me again.
One complaint, it took them almost 2 weeks longer than they said it would to get ALL the results posted on the website. DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!
People thought this was:
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
this place has served me well over the years. friendly, knowledgeable staff. usually in and out within an hour. and only $10! it's drop in only, but double check the hours on the website. some days/hours are reserved for folks who are actually experiencing symptoms. if you are burning, go anytime! if you're feeling good but want to ease your mind, check the hours.
oh, and be safe, talk to your partner about STD/babies, don't assume anything, and use condoms!
ps- if you are not a gay man or an intravenous drug user, you can get free hiv testing at the UCSF aids health project at 1930 market st. 415-502-TEST (8378)
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
Oh sure, this is place is great! If you can get in.... What they fail to explain on their website is that if you come in before 3:00 pm, they send you away if you do not have any symptoms, even if the waiting room is not at full capacity! The three times I have attempted to get tested there, they have sent me away because of time restraints (again, no more than 3 people were in the lobby), I had no symptoms, and one time they were even CLOSED when it was within the hours posted on the door. They act very nonchalant, careless, and their patience level alone makes someone not want to approach this place. With their hours of operation making it almost impossible for someone with a job to get tested and the other reasons listed above, it is a wonder people do not want to deal with getting tested. Something to remember: This place maybe 'Free', but our tax dollars pay to keep it open, and the public needs to have a say on how our money is spent. San Francisco City Clinic, you could do a lot better.
Me: Hello, I think i'm dying
CC: Hello, why do you think that?
Me: I dunno, I ran out of xanax, and someone i know has an std, so i probably have one
CC: Was it someone you slept with
Me: No, of course not.
CC: What is your sexual orientation?
Me: huh?
CC: You must be straight if you're not used to being asked that
Me: I am straight, you're right!
CC: yeppp. (yawn) so have you ever had sex with a woman
Me: No. . . I mean, not yet!
CC: okayyy then. Do you use interveinous drugs
Me: no
CC: have you slept with a man who has slept with a man
Me: i hope not
CC: (giving me the ol' san francisco eye) moving on. . .
Me: well. . . i just mean, if i had, that means they lied to me ....and i hate being lied to (god san francisco people are so damn sensitive)
CC: Ok, lady. Now take off your pantalones and lets get a good look at your vjayjay
Me: Sounds exciting! can i get tested for HIV too?
CC: You don't have HIV.
Me: Why not?
CC: you're straight, you're not a prositute, you dont use drugs, you weren't even born until the mid eighties so a transfusion is out of the question, and you don't sleep with men who sleep with men
Me: how do you know i'm not a prostitute
CC: oops, i skipped #7: when was the last time you accepted money for sex
Me: Does dinner count as money?
CC: . . .
Me: Kidding, kidding. . . i f--ed him before dinner.. . . yeah i'm not a hooker. No money for sex.
CC: Wow you have a beautiful and healthy vagina
Me: You must be joking. This V has gotten more play than an old catchers mitt
CC: Well if you've got the goods you gotta use 'em
Me: Don't you worry ma'am, don't you worry about a thing. So do i have chlamydia? I think I do.
CC: no.
Me: what about the clap? or is that the same thing
CC: thats ghonorea and no, most likely not
Me: pregnant?
CC: nope
Me: UTI?
CC: nope
Me: yeesh, good thing i didnt waste $300 at a regular doc
CC: that probably wouldn't be the first bad decision you made
Me: are you calling me a slut?
CC: just be sure to grab some condoms on your way out
Me: don't worry, i already did
CC: good
Me: good.
CC: fine then.
Me: fine to you.
Ok so about 99% of that story was fabricated. The 1% that was real, is about the same percentage chance that I will find out that i have an std. The doctor was super friendly, super nice and super AWESOME. seriously, really positive experience and she made zero judgments on my sexual history (or total lack thereof, because i'm a virgin), and certainly no judgments on the fact that i am a complete and total hypochondriac.
So moral of the story is, if you're from another state and don't have cali health insurance, go here. I was there about an hour and a half. A small price to pay for peace of mind. I made a $20 donation. I'm pretty sure that someone just pocketed it. And i'm totally OK with that. They were all very nice.
Oh PS: results are available online within less than a week. . . and if you're lucky, like me, they're allll negative.
People thought this was:
- Useful (18)
- Funny (43)
- Cool (22)
Wow, I am the first person to have the honor of reviewing the illustrious City Clinic. I think I can live with that distinction. Anyway, City Clinic is run by the Department of Public Health and is entirely drop in and only costs $10 although they won't turn you away if you don't have that money. Confidentiality is a big issue so your name won't even be called in the waiting room when it's your turn to be seen. It is a much more pleasant experience than you'd expect of a free STD clinic. The wait was not that long but the exam rooms were in okay shape, the clinicians were actually really, really cool and you can call to get your results. You can also get lots of free safer sex supplies.
People thought this was:
- Useful (6)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (4)
So I ended up here on the recommendation of a friend. I was shocked to find one person waiting on a weekday morning, but don't get me wrong, I was happy. I like the anonymous method they have. I like the selection of condoms. I like the nice people that work there, especially how they distract you while they stick you with an almost painless needle. I like the online results. This place is the most effcient and convenient clinic ever. I actually did see someone I know there, one of my clients, haha!!!
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
After paying way too much money to a private doctor who took her sweet time (over a month) trying to figure out what the hell was going on with me (while I was in no small amount of discomfort), I took my empty wallet and suffering self here, where a lovely nurse practitioner (I love people in that profession!) merely listened to my symptoms, essentially ruled out the feared you-know-whats, and then confirmed her diagnosis of no yucky diseases with an exam and a few tests. Yay!!!! And it was amazingly affordable, easy and took, clearly, less than the weeks my private doctor was making me wait. Definitely a great place to go if you have no health insurance and sexual health worries. It's very reassuringly confidential. Get there about 15 minutes to a half hour before they open--the wait can get long otherwise. Aside from the potential waits, I don't think I could ask much more from a free-ish/sliding scale clinic.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (2)
