SESAME ANNOUNCES 'BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE" PRICING FOR SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE (STD) TESTING

As most college campuses fully re-open for the first time since 2020, some "back to school" traditions are far less pleasant - and more hazardous - than others.

For a limited time, Sesame is here to help the one-in-four college students who are believed to be affected.

NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sesame, the company building a radically new healthcare system for uninsured and underserved Americans by directly connecting them to high-quality physicians at half the price, today announced promotional pricing for its Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) lab tests, just in time for the opening of college campuses and dormitories.

When it comes to sex, college students have high expectations for the 2022-2023 school year. In a recent survey of 500 current students commissioned by Sesame via Pollfish, seven in 10 say they expect to have as much or more sex than last year (with three in five saying COVID negatively impacted their sex life). With that in mind, Sesame is offering special STD lab test pricing through May 31, 2023. Undergraduate students (and anyone else of legal consenting age) may purchase and use the tests themselves, or give them to partners, friends and others.

Though STDs are prevalent within the collegiate age group – it is estimated that one in four college students have a STD, and many are asymptomatic – students are keeping quiet about it. According to the Sesame survey, 14% of coeds admit they have lied about having an STD – and men are twice as likely to do so than women.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that youths aged 15-24 accounted for almost half of the 26 million new sexually transmitted infections that occurred in the United States as recently as 2018. With 1 in 4 students admitting to having had unprotected sex "frequently" in the past year, per the Sesame report, coeds can start off the semester feeling more appropriately informed about their sexual health with the limited-time ability to test twice and pay just once.

The CDC has also published recommendations for STD testing for those in at-risk populations.  The tests available in the Sesame marketplace, and fulfilled through high-quality, national labs like Quest Diagnostics, screen for the most common STDs. Testing and test results obtained through the Sesame marketplace are private, discreet and compliant with all HIPAA provisions. 

This online survey of 500 current college students was commissioned by Sesame and conducted by market research company Pollfish. Data was collected in August 2022.

Sesame is building a radically new healthcare system for Americans who are uninsured or otherwise priced out of everyday care. The company's marketplace replaces historically inefficient, expensive healthcare with a direct connection – either virtually or in-person – between patients and physicians. This direct connection enables Sesame to offer doctor visits, labs, imaging and prescription drugs at half the price. Founders include a Harvard PhD in health policy and economics; a former Goldman Sachs analyst; and entertainment executive and healthcare reformer David Goldhill, author of the legendary cover story in The Atlantic, "How American Health Care Killed My Father." Sesame has raised $75 million so far from investors that include GV, Virgin Group and General Catalyst. The company was ranked #1 by Healthline for overall care in 2021 and 2022. For more information, please visit www.sesamecare.com.

CONTACT
Liz Murphy
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SOURCE Sesame