HIV, STI, Viral Hepatitis, and Harm Reduction Digest
February 28, 2024
NACCHO News and Announcements
EHE Superstars: Investing in Community Voices in LA County
With a population of almost 10 million and an area that exceeds some states, Los Angeles County is one of the largest and most diverse in the country. Being home to so many diverse voices, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health strategized on how to use both CDC and HRSA funds to amplify the experiences of community members to advance prevention, treatment, and wellness messaging about HIV and sexual health. Read more about this new Ending the HIV Epidemic spotlight here!
Sexual Health Services in Jails Webinar Part 2 Recording and Slides
NACCHO hosted the 2nd part of the Sexual Health Services in Jails Webinar series on February 21st. During the webinar, we highlighted jail partnerships in Alabama, Seattle-King County, Washington, and Pueblo County, Colorado.
If you missed the event, don’t worry. You can find the slide deck and recording of the webinar here.
Sexual Health Services in Jails Webinar: Part 3
It’s back by popular demand! Join NACCHO on Wednesday, March 13th at 2 pm EST for part three of our Sexual Health Services in Jails series. This session will feature impactful jail projects from the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Orange County, FL. We will be discussing the stakeholders involved in these projects, how the projects were implemented, and what was learned along the way. We hope to see you there! Register here.
Call for ALL STD/HIV Program Directors
Are you overseeing the Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) and/or HIV portfolio in your city or county? Do you supervise staff working for the STD and/or HIV programs? If you answered YES to ANY of the above questions, we would like to hear from you!
NACCHO is currently developing a training and mentorship program for STD/HIV program directors, and would appreciate your valuable feedback! Take a moment to complete this short online interest form.
2022 National Profile of Local Health Departments (Profile) Study report
NACCHO is excited to announce the release of our 2022 National Profile of Local Health Departments (Profile) Study report! The Profile Study represents the largest and most reliable data source on local health department infrastructure and practice. Key findings show that the proportion of local health departments providing HIV/AIDS screening services nearly tripled from 20% in 2008 to 58% in 2022. Help us spread the word about these important data using our Social Press Kit or by contacting [email protected].
Celebrating You, Our Nation’s Public Health Heroes
| In 1994, the National Association of County Health Officials (NACHO) merged with the U.S. Conference of Local Health Officers (USCLHO) to establish NACCHO to provide one national voice for local public health. The 2024 NACCHO360 Conference marks the perfect opportunity to acknowledge the last 30 years of NACCHO’s remarkable accomplishments, as well as the public health heroes like you working tirelessly across the country. Join us for our Third Annual Public Health Appreciation Reception in celebration of the outstanding work and efforts of all local health departments and health officials. During the reception, VIP speakers will acknowledge and appreciate the importance of all local health departments and public health professionals. We will also recognize the recipients of the following 2024 awards:
|
HIV, STI, and Hepatitis Resources & News
Two New Briefs on doxy PEP & Longer-Acting Treatment and Prevention
The O’Neill Institute has recently released two new briefs on doxy PEP and longer-acting treatment and prevention. The first is a Big Ideas brief, Promoting Equity is Essential to Effectively Implement Doxycycline as STI PEP. Also included is a 2-page Big Ideas In Brief summary. This brief was informed by a stakeholder convening held in November 2023.
Doxycycline, a commonly prescribed antibiotic that has been in use for more than fifty years, recently has been shown to be useful in preventing the bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. This offers a new tool for preventing STIs when administered as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is considering public comments on draft guidelines for the use of doxycycline as STI PEP (hereafter doxy PEP) to guide prescribers, but additional policies and actions are needed for this intervention to be successfully implemented. The CDC draft guidelines recommend doxy PEP only for populations at elevated risk for these STIs, specifically gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women with at least one bacterial STI in the last 12 months. These STIs are often asymptomatic and undetected in these populations, however, suggesting that a broader range of MSM and transgender women (and possibly other populations) could benefit from doxy PEP based on individual sexual behaviors. How this new intervention is integrated into practice is critically important and calls for new approaches to prevention.
The second is a Quick Take, Medicaid Access to Longer-Acting (LA) Products for HIV Treatment and Prevention. This Quick Take was informed by a community stakeholder convening held in November 2023 in partnership with Amida Care and CAI. Medicaid is the largest source of insurance coverage for people with HIV and a major source of coverage for PrEP. As we seek to expand access to longer-acting (LA) products, it is important to be aware of the tools used by Medicaid programs to manage prescription drug benefits and policy issues that must be addressed to protect access.
The documents also can be found at https://oneill.law.georgetown.edu/initiatives/infectious-diseases-initiative/publications/
NEW Website Native Health Resources – A One-Stop Shop for Indigenized Health Education Materials
Check out these Native Health Resources recently shared by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board! Their website provides a ton of content and materials that are culturally relevant and appropriate to support health education efforts for clinicians, health educators, and others serving Tribes and Tribal organizations. From community handouts to provider educational materials, these resources cover a variety of health topics, including sexual health, mental health, substance use, and many more!
IHS Letters Update Leaders on Syphilis Efforts
IHS CMO issues letters to update Tribal Leaders and Urban Indian Organization Leaders on efforts to address the syphilis epidemic in Indian County. Please share this information widely.
Registration Open: 2024 EHE Mentorship Program
NASTAD is excited to inform you that applications are currently being accepted for the third-year cohort of the End the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Mentorship Program. We aim to welcome 8-10 participants for this cohort. The Mentorship Program is a learning community and training series designed to support EHE health department staff in understanding the components of EHE and activities set forth by HRSA funding for health departments (HRSA-20-078). The mentorship program is a 6-month learning opportunity for new coordinators and managers in EHE Phase 1 funded health departments.
The program pairs newly hired staff with experienced health department staff who have firsthand experience running HIV programs in similar jurisdictions. The program is intended to orient newly hired staff to their roles within the national EHE initiative and connect participants to peer-to-peer learning, technical assistance (TA), and consultations with subject matter experts. Newly hired health department staff interested in the program are encouraged to apply by February 23, 2024, to participate in the second cohort from April 2024 – October 2024. The program begins with an in-person kick-off meeting on April 17-18, 2024, in Chicago, IL and will have virtual learning sessions that will cover topics such as monitoring and evaluation, budgeting and fiscal management, data driven decision making, and partnership development.
NASTAD is also recruiting mentors for the program. Staff with experience implementing HIV programs are encouraged to complete an application by February 23, 2024. We look forward to your participation. For questions about the program, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Darion Banister or Alicyn Heinrich.
Addressing Xylazine in Viral Hepatitis Care Settings Webinar
In this webinar, Dziko Singleton (she/her), a HepNET Leading with Lived Experience Consultant, will join Dr. Andrew Klein (he/him), volunteer at the Medical Reserve Corps and previously a physician at outpatient wound care centers to discuss the increasing presence of xylazine in the drug supply and its impact on people who use drugs. Xylazine is marketed as a veterinary tranquilizer; however, it is increasingly found mixed with drugs like powder heroin/fentanyl. The panelists will discuss how they are addressing xylazine’s health risks for people who use drugs in their respective care settings. They will share the latest findings, harm reduction strategies, and culturally responsive approaches to care that follow the lead of people directly impacted by xylazine use. Click here to register.
AIDSWatch 2024
In-Person, March 17 - 19, 2024, Washington, DC
Each year AIDSWatch brings together hundreds of people living with HIV and their allies in Washington, D.C., to learn about the latest policy issues, messaging strategy and advocacy tactics. Registration is open.
Sex-Ed on the Hill
Online, May 7-9, 2024
SIECUS’s annual advocacy event will be on May 7- 9, and to increase accessibility, the event will be entirely virtual. Sign up to be notified when registration opens.
News to Note
Syphilis Is Skyrocketing, But Experts Are Worried No One Cares. We Need to Talk About It. - USA Today
