Category Archives: Health Alerts

STI Awareness Week is April 14–20

April 16, 2024 administrator Leave a comment

STI Awareness Week, observed April 14–20 this year, raises awareness about how sexually transmitted infections (STIs) impact people’s lives. It also highlights the importance of reducing the stigma, fear, and discrimination associated with STIs and ensuring people have the appropriate tools and knowledge regarding the prevention, testing, and treatment of STIs.

The latest CDC data show that more than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported in the United States in 2022. Data about the syphilis epidemic is especially concerning because syphilis cases have reached the highest numbers since the 1950s. According to the CDC, 207,255 total syphilis cases were reported in the United States in 2022, representing an 80% increase since 2018, and more than 3,700 cases of congenital syphilis among newborns were documented by the CDC in 2022. If syphilis is not treated, it can seriously damage the heart and brain and can cause blindness, deafness, and paralysis. While the syphilis epidemic grew worse, reported chlamydia cases were level, and the number of gonorrhea cases fell for the first time in at least a decade. Although gonorrhea declined, this finding may suggest the need for an even closer look at public health efforts and greater prevention strategies, including those that improve access to STI testing and treatment.

Read the full article.

To find local STI testing locations (most are free), you can search by zip code at https://gettested.cdc.gov/. You can also go to our Testing and Prevention page for more resources.

Health Alerts, Prevention

HHS Announces Department Actions to Slow Surging Syphilis Epidemic

February 6, 2024 administrator Leave a comment

From HIV.gov…

U.S. Syphilis Cases Reach Highest Levels Since the 1950s, Creating a Critical Public Health Need.

In response to the surging number of syphilis and congenital syphilis cases nationwide, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is taking action to slow the spread with a focus on those most significantly impacted. Through the establishment of the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic (NSCSS) Federal Task Force, the Department is utilizing its agencies, its expertise, and its stakeholder network to respond to the U.S. syphilis and congenital syphilis epidemic. The actions of the Task Force leverage federal resources to reduce rates, promote health equity, engage impacted communities, and direct resources to support those most impacted.

“The syphilis crisis in our country is unacceptable. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to addressing this urgent issue and using all available means to eliminate disparities in our health care system,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “These actions we are taking will help ensure we are improving outcomes for birthing parents and newborns. We must prevent more deaths caused by congenital syphilis, an entirely preventable disease.”

Read the full article on HIV.gov.

Health Alerts, HIV care, HIV testing, Prevention

Get a free HIV in-home test kit in time for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

February 1, 2024 administrator Leave a comment

Due to institutionalized racism in our health systems, the Black community still struggles with high rates of HIV infection. To combat the issue, the HIV Prevention and Care Project offers FREE in-home HIV test kits through the mail. They come in an unmarked package and are completely anonymous. Information entered to order the kit is kept strictly confidential and is never shared with anyone. Knowing your status is the best way to protect yourself and your community from HIV. Get your free test kit at www.getmyHIVtest.com.

To find out more about National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, go to the CDC’s website.

Health Alerts

Newborn syphilis cases spike in U.S. amid gaps in maternal screening, treatment

November 9, 2023 administrator Leave a comment

From the University of Minnesota…

Syphilis infections passed from mothers to their newborns are at a 30-year high and have risen tenfold since 2012, and a fresh data analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that lack of timely testing and adequate treatment are the two biggest drivers and played a role in 90% of cases in 2022.

The CDC detailed its findings today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report alongside a Vital Signs report designed to focus attention on the importance of identifying the infections, which can lead to miscarriages, stillbirths, and developmental disabilities.

Read the full aricle on the University of Minnesota University. To find local testing for Syphilis and other STIs, you can search for clinics at https://gettested.cdc.gov/. Most testing is free.

Health Alerts, HIV Activism, HIV testing

Why National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Still Matters in 2023

May 19, 2023 administrator Leave a comment

From Poz online…

May 19th marks National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NAPIHAAD, also referred to as APIMay19), an important occasion for raising awareness and promoting action against HIV/AIDS within Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities. NAPIHAAD serves as a powerful reminder of the unique challenges faced by these communities and the need for comprehensive support and initiatives to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Two asian men in image to promote National Asian and Pacific Islander H I V and AIDS awareness day

The San Francisco Community Health Center, formerly Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, previously led the awareness day and continues to be heavily involved in NAPIHAAD, which is a vital opportunity to inform API communities about this preventable disease. Stigma and discrimination can often prevent folks from seeking care and support when learning about their sexual health status. That’s why the need for culturally competent providers who are experienced in engaging with diverse API populations is urgent.

Read the full article.

For more information about National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, go to CDC.gov.

Getting tested,,,

Knowing your HIV status is the first step in fighting HIV. Right now, anyone who resides in Pennsylvania can get a free HIV self-test kit from www.getmyHIVtest.com. If you live outside Pennsylvania go to https://gettested.cdc.gov and search by zip code to find local testing clinics. Most are free.

Health Alerts, PrEP, Prevention, Trans Health and HIV

Black Gay Men and Trans Women Are Well Protected by Injectable PrEP

March 23, 2023 administrator Leave a comment

From POZ.com…

Long-acting injectable cabotegravir (Apretude) offered greater protection than daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) pills for Black gay and bisexual cisgender men and transgender women, but Black people still had higher HIV incidence rates compared with their white peers regardless of which type of PrEP they used, researchers reported at the 30th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI).

Adherence was higher with the every-other-month injections than with daily pills in both groups, suggesting long-acting PrEP could help close the racial gap in HIV rates. “[Apretude] is a powerful HIV prevention tool to increase access to PrEP and address continued racial disparities in HIV incidence in the United States,” Hyman Scott, MD, MPH, of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and colleagues concluded.

Although African Americans make up about 13% of the U.S. population, they account for more than 40% of all new HIV diagnoses, so effective and acceptable prevention interventions are urgently needed. While white gay and bi men have readily adopted oral PrEP using tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (Truvada and TDF/FTC generic equivalents) or tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine (Descovy), uptake has been lower among Black men.

Read the full article on POZ.

Health Alerts, HIV Activism, HIV testing, Stigma

February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

February 7, 2023 administrator Leave a comment

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. CDC data shows that Black/African American are at a higher risk for HIV infection as compared to other races and ethnicities. Why? Because these communities are impacted by demographic factors such as discrimination, stigma, and institutionalized health disparities—all of which affect their risk for HIV.

National Black H I V aids awareness day is February 7th. A black man sits with two black women

If you reside in Pennsylvania, you can get a free HIV self-test kit delivered through the mail. Go to www.getmyHIVtest.com to order your kit today.

If you live outside of PA, you can go to the CDC’s testing locator website at https://gettested.cdc.gov/.

Knowing your status will protect you and your partner’s health.

Health Alerts, Prevention, Research, STIs

Health Alert: If you’re sexually active, get a full screening for sexually transmitted infections

November 2, 2022 administrator Leave a comment

The CDC is reporting the number of new sexually transmitted infections continues to go up, with the highest number of STIs in the U.S. ever.

The newly released CDC 2020 STD Surveillance Report found that at the end of 2020:

Reported cases of gonorrhea and primary & secondary (P&S) syphilis were up 10% and 7%, respectively, compared to 2019.
Syphilis among newborns (i.e., congenital syphilis) also increased, with reported cases up nearly 15% from 2019, and 235% from 2016. Early data indicate primary and secondary syphilis and congenital syphilis cases continued to increase in 2021 as well.

As a result, the CDC is recommending that anyone who is sexually active get a full screening for STIs. To find local testing clinics near you, go to https://gettested.cdc.gov/. Most clinics are free.

To find out how to prevent STIs, you can go to the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/default.htm.

Health Alerts, STIs

Doctors Haven’t Seen So Many Cases of This STD in 72 Years

September 21, 2022 administrator Leave a comment

From hivplugmag.com…

Syphilis bottomed out in the U.S. in the late 1990s, with the CDC hoping to fully eradicate the disease. Only years later, syphilis rates would start rising; by 2021, more than 52,000 cases were reported.

Many factors could be at play, but officials believe the COVID pandemic is mostly at fault. Testing and treatment took a backseat during the worst days of the crisis in 2020, while many people now feel sexually unshackled with COVID vaccines available, lockdowns over, and mask mandates lifted. Some health officials are calling for public messaging about condoms. Monkeypox, which exploded this year and last, is also complicating efforts and eating up health funding from the government.

The CDC’s Leandro Mena, who made the announcement about STDs at a Monday speech, is calling for swift action. One of his ideas is widely available home-test kits for STDs, akin to the COVID tests common today. Mena also called for battling stigma — ostensibly through public relations, marketing, or public service announcements — and increased testing and treatment.

Read the full article. Find out more about the rise of STDs on the CDC Website. To find local STD testing, go to https://gettested.cdc.gov.

Health Alerts, HIV, HIV Activism, HIV Prevention and Care Project, HIV testing

Universities create special HIV testing initiative to provide free HIV self-test kits to PA residents

August 8, 2022 administrator Leave a comment

According to a 2020 CDC report, out of more than 30,000 new cases of HIV infection in the United States, Black and Latinx populations bear the brunt of being most at risk, accounting for two-thirds (20,000) of the new infections. The reason (the CDC also reports) is due to institutionalized health disparities among those groups. In other words, Black and Latinx people face higher levels of discrimination when seeking health care.

To help address the issue, the HIV Prevention and Care Project at the University of Pittsburgh, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Expanded HIV Testing Initiative at Penn State University created a state-wide program that allows residents of Pennsylvania to obtain a free HIV self-test kit through the mail.

Ora Quick test kit image — The free test kits use an oral swab and you get results in 20 minutes

Knowing your HIV status is the first step in preventing the spread of the virus. People who test positive can obtain treatment that keeps the virus in check, and therefore makes it next to impossible to spread to others.

To obtain a free HIV self-test kit, go to www.getmyHIVtest.com. Taking care of your health is part of taking care of your community.

To find out more about the free HIV test kit program, and find other HIV/STI testing resources, you can go to the HIV Prevention and Care Project Website at https://hivpreventionandcareproject.com/resources/. If you still have questions, send an email to info@getmyHIVtest.com.