STIs like HIV are largely asymptomatic, so if the person doesn’t know, will you?
We have two clinics and one outreach office. We have a clinic in Cottonwood, where our clients and patients can be seen by one of our providers, their medical case manager and a therapist if that is part of their treatment plan. Northland Cares also has a clinic in Prescott where our clients and patients can see their provider, medical case manager and an in-house therapist if that is a part of their treatment plan. Our offices are a one-stop shop for HIV+ clients and our PEP and PrEP clients.
Did you know we have the medical technology to stop HIV worldwide right now? We do! The advancements in HIV treatment and prevention have come a long way. Let’s take a look.
HIV Treatment: We have single pill regimens with few side effects, such as an upset stomach, and now have monthly injectables so patients do not have to remember to take a daily pill. This is outstanding news. The new medications work fast to fight the virus in your system. Today, nobody in Arizona and specifically Yavapai County need develop AIDS. It is true. Even if we find someone who technically has AIDS, it is easily reversed with the medications we have today.
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), a side-effect of untreated HIV, is technically when a person’s CD4 (T-cell) count falls below 200. We have seen them much lower when finding people living with the virus who did not know they had it. Once medications are introduced into the patient’s system, we will see the viral load go down and the CD4 go back up to a nice robust healthy number within a month. That’s fantastic!
PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis): is an excellent prevention tool for anyone who has unprotected sex, shares injection equipment (including steroids) or has multiple partners without using protection. Think of it like putting your seatbelt on. It’s not every day you drive that you will be in an accident, but the potential is there. It’s the same with unprotected sex or sharing equipment. By taking this pill daily, it will prevent you from getting HIV. It won’t protect you from any other STI or pregnancy. If you get a different STI as our patient, we can treat you in-house.
PEP (Post-exposure prophylaxis): is an excellent prevention tool we make available to the public on weekends and holidays. With PEP, we only have a short window of time for which to get you these medications – 72 hours or three days to get the medication into your system. It is more effective if administered closer to the time of exposure. Not all local pharmacies keep these medications in stock because they can be cost prohibitive – $2,000 to $3,000 for one month. Fear not, we keep these medications in stock and have PrEP Navigators available to assist getting you the rest of the medications while staying in the 72-hour window.
Who would need PEP? Anyone who has a condom break, is a victim of sexual assault from someone of an unknown status or receives an accidental needle stick.
HIV can live in a discarded syringe for up to 42 days.
83% of accidental needle sticks go unreported.
Yavapai County experienced a 275% increase in new HIV diagnoses in 2019.
85% of all new HIV+ diagnosis in cis-gender heterosexual women are from an unprotected sexual encounter.
People who are HIV+ and do not know it can have it up to 10 years before they would get a secondary illness that would tip their provider off that they may be HIV positive.
STIs like HIV are largely asymptomatic, so if the person doesn’t know, will you?
Northland Cares offers PEP Navigation during weekends and holidays because we know that the earlier we get you the medications, the better the outcome for you and your family. We have staff on-call who will respond if you need PEP medications. Our on-call phone number is 928-910-6707, available Fridays beginning in the evening until Sunday evening.
FULL PANEL STI TESTING AVAILABLE
We are now offering full panel STI testing at our office. We recommend people call first to schedule the test. Soon, you will be able to go online and order a kit to be sent to your house. We presently test for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. If you are sexually active and prefer not to use protection, we recommend that you get these tests done every three months. If you are sexually active, we recommend making an STI test a part of your annual healthcare examination.
Surprising Facts
- Arizona is No. 1 in the nation for syphilis.
- Arizona is No. 5 in the nation for babies born with syphilis.
- Chlamydia and gonorrhea can be asymptomatic in 75% of women or people with vulvas.
- Chlamydia and gonorrhea can be asymptomatic in 50% of men or people with penises.
- Syphilis is called the “Great Pretender” because it can cause meningitis, dementia, blindness and loss of peripheral vision. Whatever part of your brain or optic nerve syphilis damages will not be repaired with treatment.
There are viruses, parasites and bacteria out there, so use protection and get tested so that the only thing your orgasm leaves you with is a pleasant memory. Wishing you all a safe and fun sexual health life. QCBN
By Hedda Fay
Hedda Fay is the community outreach and program developer for Northland Cares. In a former life, she worked in law enforcement and public mental health. Her passion today is educating people about their sexual health and prevention services to the community. Northland Cares is located at 3112 Clearwater Drive, Ste. A, in Prescott. For more information, call 928-776-4612.
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