Just one glance at TBD Health’s webpage makes it crystal clear—This is no ordinary sexual health clinic. Bright colors, aesthetic fonts, and *gasp* inclusive images of POC bodies with stretch marks and body hair. There’s even an intriguing button labeled “Go Wild” at the top of the page, and clicking it elicits a steady stream of suggestive emojis.
But that’s the point—TBD Health is purposefully subverting typical clinic culture, and the website states quite plainly that it’s “a clinic for people that hate clinics.” Fed up with feeling judged while taking care of their sexual health, decade-long friends Stephanie Estey and Daphne Chen co-founded TBD Health (yes, it stands for to be determined) in 2020 with the goal of creating a warm, welcoming, and safe clinic environment.
“Throughout our entire friendship, we always grappled with sexual health, and these moments of panic when we weren’t quite sure what to do,” Estey says. “So whether that was a one-night stand in college where we weren’t sure if the condom worked or just moments where we weren’t sure how to handle our sexual health, we really wanted to create somewhere that felt safe and human and approachable, the complete opposite of the experiences that we had in college and our early adult lives.”
Estey and Chen chose the name “TBD Health” thoughtfully. They felt utilizing the commonly used phrase “to be determined” would make the clinic feel less … well, clinical. TBD is also a reminder that sexual health is a constant journey, and the founders want the clinic to be a supportive sexual health partner for life.
“We like to think about sex in a very multidimensional way. And so you have the medical side of things… and then we’re also making sure that we think about sex from a mental and emotional and pleasure aspect as well,” Estey says. “So making sure that we end appointments asking people, ‘Hey, are you enjoying your sex life?’ and giving them tools if they aren’t, making sure that you incorporate that pleasure piece.”
TBD’s website offers at-home STI screening kits packaged in colorful, cheery boxes. Despite the at-home nature of the kits, the clinic prides itself on testing aftercare and helps clients navigate results, whatever they may be. TBD also has a brick-and-mortar clinic in Las Vegas that offers STI testing, birth control, pap smears, and assistance with erectile dysfunction. The company’s second clinic, located in Denver, opens in October.
They chose Denver for the second TBD clinic for a multitude of reasons: Estey explains that numbers point to Denver’s need for more accessible STI screening (gonorrhea and syphilis rates hit an all-time high in Colorado in 2021, according to that year’s Sexually Transmitted Infections Annual Report) and Colorado’s location makes it a haven for those with limited reproductive healthcare access.
TBD has big plans for the next year. Besides launching a care hub in Denver and growing its physical footprint, the clinic is working with insurance providers to become in-network, and Medicaid is up first.
“We feel very deeply about providing safe, supportive sexual health services,” Estey emphasizes. “And I think particularly when reproductive rights are very politicized in the U.S. (and) LGBTQ rights are consistently under attack, knowing that people can come to TBD and have a safe place is something that we care very deeply about. We pride ourselves on being inclusive and a safe space for everyone.”
Photo courtesy of TBD Health Clinic
