APLA Health Commemorated STD Awareness Week With a Grand Opening Celebration of Its Brand New Out Here Sexual Health Center, Baldwin Hills

On Tuesday, April 12th, APLA Health commemorated STD Awareness Week (April 10-16, 2022) with a grand opening celebration of its brand new Out Here Sexual Health Center, Baldwin Hills featuring speeches from CA Senator Sydney Kamlager (30th District), CA Assembly member Isaac G. Bryan (District 54), Mario J. Pérez (Director of the Division of HIV and STD Programs, Los Angeles County), and U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass (37th District), represented by her District Director Jacqueline Hamilton.

Out Here is a new sexual health brand from APLA Health that reimagines how we deliver testing, treatment, and prevention. Out Here Sexual Health Center, Baldwin Hills is funded in part by the County of Los Angeles (County), Department of Public Health (DPH), Division of HIV and STD Programs (DHSP), Sexual Health Express Clinic (SHEx-C) program. Featuring six exam rooms, this facility offers low / no cost expedited HIV testing, STD screening / treatment, PrEP, PEP & Community Resources with linkage to over 100 services and programs offered throughout LA County. Located in Baldwin Hills at 3741 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90016. Services are available Monday through Friday (Saturday hours coming soon) by online appointment (OutHereHealth.com) or telephone 213.201.5000.

“In past years, STD screening / treatment has been a complicated, time-consuming process, with accompanying time burdens and financial challenges. Additionally, the lack of culturally competent sex positive testing and treatment centers created a barrier of shame for those seeking and receiving care. With Out Here’s low / no cost sexual health services, extended service hours, and same-day online appointments, we have worked diligently to expand access to those in greatest need,” said Craig E. Thompson, CEO of APLA Health. “Unfortunately, the STD crisis has not had the benefit of year-to-year increases in federal or state appropriations commensurate with the increase in infections. We commend LA County’s financial support to expand high-quality STD prevention in communities most impacted by STDs and addressing the syndemics of STDs, HIV, viral hepatitis, and substance abuse disorders in STD programs.”

STD Awareness Week provides an opportunity to raise awareness about STDs at a national and local level. Even in the face of the COVID pandemic, there were 2.4 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported by the Centers for Disease Control in 2020 (an overall increase from 2019). As in past years, there were significant disparities in rates of reported STDs among racial and ethnic minority groups, gay and bisexual men (MSM), transgender persons, cisgender women of color and our nation’s youth. These disparities are unlikely explained by differences in sexual behavior and rather reflect differential access to quality sexual health care, as well as differences in sexual network characteristics.

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ABOUT APLA HEALTH:

APLA Health restores dignity and trust within underserved communities by providing world-class LGBTQ+ empowering healthcare, support services, and HIV specialty care. Since 1983, APLA Health has remained steadfast in its commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in our lifetime. The agency is a multi-site operation includes eight Federally Qualified health Center (FQHC) locations, serving more than 18,000 people annually in Los Angeles County, the nation’s most populous. We provide 20 different services including: medical, dental, behavioral health and HIV specialty care; PrEP counseling and management; health education and HIV prevention; and STD screening and treatment. For people living with HIV, we offer housing support; benefits counseling; home healthcare; and the Vance North Necessities of Life Program food pantries; among several other critically needed services. Additionally, we are leaders in advocating for policy and legislation that positively impact the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities and conduct community-based research on issues affecting the communities we serve. Our signature fundraising event, AIDS Walk Los Angeles, has drawn hundreds of thousands of supporters to walk, and millions more to donate, raising more than $92 million to combat HIV and AIDS since 1985. For more information on APLA Health visit https://aplahealth.org.