As part of the HPCP, and with the experienced input of the Pitt Men’s Study medical staff (both housed within the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health), the Online Outreach Program strives to provide  important sexual health information to the people who need it most. In venues like Facebook and Grindr, our sexual health educators reach out online, in areas around the state that are particularly hard hit by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

In 2018, educators referred more than 900 men and women in Pennsylvania to free HIV/STD testing. The project also posts a variety of Health Alerts (short bulletins alerting the community about critical health issues) to more than 20, 000 recipients in the commonwealth.

Beginning in January of 2021, the program was extended in a joint effort with the Pennsylvania Expanded HIV Testing Initiative at Penn State University, to provide free HIV self-test kits mailed to anyone who resides in the state of Pennsylvania. To find out more about getting a free HIV test kit, go to www.getmyHIVtest.com.

The project’s blogs and Facebook pages include:

m4mHealthySex.org
Need2Know.com
LGBTQpgh 

For more information about our online outreach, email the program’s coordinator, Raymond Yeo, at rgy2@pitt.edu.