HIV, STI, Viral Hepatitis and Harm Reduction Digest
April 12, 2023
NACCHO News and Announcements
NACCHO Releases Funding Opportunities to Evaluate Integration of STI & Harm Reduction Services
NACCHO is accepting applications for two related funding opportunities to support the evaluation of STI and harm reduction (HR) services. Applicants must already offer integrated STI and HR services. One application is intended to fund organizations that are primarily STI service providers while the other is intended to fund organizations that are primarily HR service providers. Applicants can request up to $50,000 and applications are due Friday, May 12th. NACCHO will also host an informational webinar on Wednesday, April 19th at 3 PM ET. Access additional information here.
Subject Matter Expert Advisory Workgroups Application
NACCHO’s Subject Matter Expert Advisory Workgroups are a primary and recognized vehicle for identifying the opportunities and challenges facing local health departments (LHDs) and the field at large. NACCHO’s Subject Matter Expert Advisory Workgroups comprise members with expertise in local public health practice. The full list of workgroup descriptions can be found here.
Workgroup Members:
- Play an integral part in ensuring NACCHO’s policy and advocacy is grounded in the latest science and the day-to-day experience of local health departments
- Connect with peers and other subject matter experts in the field
- Gain exposure to innovative programmatic work at NACCHO and in other local health departments across the country
- Help craft policy statements, shape strategic messaging on key subject matter areas, review tools and Model Practices, and share perspectives on how local health departments are addressing key public health issues.
The application period will close April 28, 2023.
Addressing Social Inequities and STI Disparities Webinar- NEW DATE AND TIME
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the webinar (Addressing Social Inequities and STI Disparities) has been rescheduled to Thursday, April 27th at 3pm EST. Webinar details and the new registration link can be found below:
Join the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for a webinar, Addressing Social Inequities and STI Disparities, on Thursday, April 27th at 3pm EST as we discuss social inequities and STI disparities amongst Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM).
We will be joined by Errol Fields, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., who has several years of experience in this area as he is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine within the Department of Pediatrics Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine and his clinical work focuses on primary and subspecialty care for adolescents and young adults, including gender affirming care, inclusive sexual and reproductive health care, and treatment and prevention of HIV and other STIs. During this webinar, Dr. Fields will specifically focus on syphilis and its disproportionate burden on the Black community, as well as how race and sexuality contribute to sexual health disparities, and strategies that can be employed to eliminate those disparities.
Syphilis and Drug User Health Webinar Series: “If You’re Not Seeing It Yet, You Will: Collaborating to Address Syphilis Among People Who Use Drugs”
NACCHO, in partnership with AIDS United, NASTAD, NCSD, and the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, held the “If You’re Not Seeing It Yet, You Will: Collaborating to Address Syphilis Among People Who Use Drugs” webinar on March 28th. This is a five-part webinar series and provides an overview of recent trends in syphilis and congenital syphilis, with a focus on its connections to substance use and people who use drugs, as well as the key systems and stakeholders working at this intersection.
The webinar series convene on the last Tuesday of each month from 3:00 to 4:30 PM ET, March 28, 2023 through July 25, 2023. All recordings and registration links for this webinar series can be found on NASTAD’s “Syphilis and Drug User Health Webinar Series” resource page.
Please contact [email protected] for further questions.
2023 DIS Scholarship Recipients
NACCHO is excited to announce the individuals that were selected to receive a 2023 DIS Scholarship! This scholarship will allow for DIS that work in local and state health departments to attend the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) annual meeting, STD Engage. This meeting will be held in person in New Orleans, LA and will take place on May 16-18, 2023. DIS will have the opportunity to attend numerous sessions focused on STD prevention and control, as well as sessions specific to their workforce and the opportunity to network with other DIS. The selected scholarship recipients can be found below:
NCSD
- Justin Goff, Oklahoma State Dept of Health
- Jordan Patrick, Arizona Department of Health Services
- Corda Williams Henton, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
- Raymond Blagman, New York State Department of Health
- Noah Schumacher, Minnesota Department of Health
- Andre Ivey, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
- Danielle Brownrigg, Arizona Department of Health Services
- Gregory Faupel, Illinois Department of Public Health
- Kelly Cabral, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
- Aissata Bah, Maryland Health Center for STI Prevention
- Sherita Perry, Virginia Department of Health
NACCHO
- Celine Coleman, Linn County Public Health
- Emily Gregersen, Tacoma Pierce County Health Department
- Ethan Quinnell, Chicago Department of Public Health
- Gregory Lynch, Suffolk County Department of Health Services
- Gustavo Garcia, County of San Diego
Congratulations to our scholarship recipients!
HIV, STI, and Hepatitis Resources and News
National Transgender HIV Testing Day Toolkit
The National Transgender HIV Testing Day (NTHTD) toolkit is now available! Observed annually on April 18, NTHTD is a day to recognize the importance of routine HIV testing, status awareness, and continued focus on HIV prevention and treatment for transgender and nonbinary people. The toolkit includes ready-to-use social media posts and graphics to share leading up to and on NTHTD. You can also show your support by using Together campaign resources for transgender and non-binary audiences in English and Spanish, including posters, videos, palm cards, and more. This spring, CDC and Emory University will implement Together TakeMeHome (TTMH), a project designed to increase awareness and diagnoses of HIV infections in the United States. The goal of this project is to distribute one million free HIV self-tests nationwide over the next 5 years—making it the largest HIV self-testing program in United States history!
Free HIV self-tests
Anyone 17 years or older who lives in the United States, including Puerto Rico, can order up to two free HIV self-tests every 90 days via this online portal. Mailed directly to individuals, self-test kits address many of the common barriers to HIV testing, such as stigma, privacy concerns, cost, and lack of access to HIV clinics, while giving people who otherwise might not have tested an opportunity to know their status.
The Let’s Stop HIV Together (Together) campaign will be sharing promotional tools and resources in the coming weeks. You can also direct your audiences to Together’s self-testing page to learn more about HIV self-testing. Join us in raising awareness about HIV testing by promoting this project with your audiences.
News to Note
Integrating PrEP Into Primary Care for Adolescents | PolicyLab (chop.edu)
Upcoming Opportunities
IHAP TAC April Office Hours
Integrated HIV/AIDS Planning Technical Assistance Center (IHAP TAC) hosts monthly Office Hours to discuss anything and everything related to integrated planning. Office Hours are hosted via Zoom and staffed by IHAP TAC team members. Feel free to send questions or topics you want to discuss ahead of time to [email protected], or simply join the Zoom room and chat with our team and your peers!
Where: Virtual (Registration is not required.)
Date: Thursday, April 13th, 2023 @ 3:00pm ET
National Transgender HIV Testing Day Live Instagram Event
SAVE THE DATE: Join us @stopHIVtogether for a National Transgender HIV Testing Day live Instagram event with our community partners and Dr. Robyn Fanfair! The event will talk about the importance of HIV testing, in your own time, and in your own space! Join the discussion on Monday, April 17 at 1pm and learn about free HIV self-tests for priority groups!
Best Practices for Implementing Universal Adult HBV Screening and Vaccination Webinar
Please join us on Monday, May 1st at 3:00 pm ET for a webinar on how to implement the new universal adult hepatitis B screening and vaccination guidelines!
Panelists will provide best practices on their efforts to implement universal screening and vaccination within their communities, challenges they have faced, and the findings of a brand new Call-to-Action to eliminate hepatitis B through the new universal recommendations.
Hear from your Peers Panel Session: Strategies for Successful Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan Monitoring and Evaluation
Join Technical Assistance Center on Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 2:00pm ET for our next Hear from your Peers panel session. Panelists will discuss their approaches to monitoring and evaluating their jurisdiction’s Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan (IP), including strategies for monitoring IP progress, solutions for gathering and tracking data to inform evaluation, and how they will provide updates to stakeholders about IP implementation and progress.
Date: Wednesday, May 10th, 2023 @ 2:00pm ET
STD Engage is returning to an in-person format in New Orleans, LA on May 16-18! Discounted hotel room rates are available when you register, but they’re going fast, so don’t wait. Register Now.
