  The Regional Health Specialist newsletter is a monthly update for all community partners. In each newsletter, you'll find updates pertaining to HIV, STIs, and hepatitis C in Iowa, plus other topics of interest. For suggestions on content, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
In this issue:
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Mpox Update | Things to Know for Summer 2024
- New CDC Report on Social Determinants of Health and
Quality of Life Among People Living with HIV
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Now Available! 2023 HIV and Hepatitis Prevention Program Snapshots
- 2021-2022 Behavioral Health Barometers Now Available
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Your Life Iowa Annual Report Released
- National HIV Testing Day
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June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month
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June is Men's Health Month
- Health Equity Spotlight
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Upcoming and Available Webinars
Mpox Update | Things to Know for Summer 2024
Mpox Vaccines Free Until August 31, 2024
As of September 2024, the Jynneos vaccine for mpox will be commercially available, which may impact individuals' ability to get the vaccine. Qualified people who are interested in getting vaccinated for mpox can get free vaccines through August 31, 2024, at vaccines sites around the state.
Despite no reports of cases within Iowa for 2024, more populous and frequently-visited states are seeing nearly a doubling in confirmed cases compared to this time in 2023. As summer approaches, we know there will be opportunities for a variety of celebrations and travel across the U.S. and other countries, and we want to encourage vaccination amongst our communities while the supplies are readily available.
We understand that the commercialization of the mpox vaccine will likely create an additional barrier for certain community members. It's especially important to promote vaccination opportunities while the vaccine is free!
Please promote vaccination among:
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- All patients living with HIV,
- All LGBTQ individuals/partners of LGBTQ individuals
- All patients receiving PrEP
If you want to learn more about combating vaccine hesitancy or what to expect from mpox commercialization, please contact De'Shea Coney, vaccine access and equity coordinator.
Thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to public health and health equity!
Additional Resources:
Mpox (MPV) | Iowa HHS
Mpox Vaccination Locations | PrEP Iowa
Safer Sex, Social Gatherings, and Mpox | CDC
Recent Updates and Reports:
New CDC Report on Social Determinants of Health and Quality of Life Among People Living with HIV:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a new report based on data from the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP).
This is the first national HIV surveillance report that presents representative estimates of individual-level social determinants of health (SDOH) and quality of life among people with HIV (PLHIV) in the United States. The report highlights aspects of individual-level social determinants of health—including socioeconomic status, health-related factors, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context—and quality of life among adults with diagnosed HIV. Read the report.
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2023 HIV and Hepatitis Prevention Program
Snapshots Released:
The HIV and Hepatitis Prevention Program is pleased to announce the release of the 2023 Program Snapshots. These fact sheets provide an overview of multiple program areas. The fact sheets are individually linked below for your reference and are available on the HHS website.
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2021-2022 Behavioral Health Barometers Now Available
SAMHSA has posted the Behavioral Health Barometers, Regions 1-10, Volume 7: Indicators as Measured in the 2021–2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. The report series provides the latest available state-level data on substance use and mental health throughout ten regions spanning the U.S. For easy reference, Iowa is included as part of Region 7.
Learn more
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Your Life Iowa Annual Report Released:
Your Life Iowa (YLI) has released their State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2023 Annual Report.
Your Life Iowa (YLI) is a statewide resource where individuals can turn when facing a question, concern, or problem with substance use, gambling, mental health, or suicidal thoughts. YLI provides trusted information, resources and support which can be accessed 24/7 via phone, online chat, text, or at yourlifeiowa.org.
National HIV Testing Day—
June 27, 2024
The NHTD theme for 2024 is
“Level up your self-love: check your status.”
It emphasizes valuing yourself, showing compassion and respect, and honoring your health needs with self-love. Knowing your HIV status helps you make informed choices to stay healthy.
Each year on June 27, National HIV Testing Day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of testing for HIV and getting an early diagnosis.
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Testing is the first step to engaging in HIV prevention or treatment services.
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There are multiple options for fast, confidential, and safe HIV testing, including:
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Testing in nonclinical settings such as mobile and workplace testing
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Clinical HIV testing services that offer multi-infection screening & partner notification
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HIV self-testing, an increasingly popular option that can be done in a private setting. HIV self-testing offers many exciting opportunities! For instance, the CDC supported an Evaluation of Rapid HIV Self-Testing among MSM Project (eSTAMP), which found that MSM who were sent HIV self-test kits had more frequent HIV tests, identified more undiagnosed HIV infections, and shared their results more readily with sexual partners compared to a control group who did not receive the kits.
Additional Resources:
Attend the CDC's National HIV Testing Day Webinar!
Thursday, June 13, noon to 1 p.m. CT | Register now
Integrating Routine HIV Screening into Your Practice: A Guide for Clinicians (CDC)
CDC 2024 National HIV Testing Day | Theme Announcement
Together TakeMeHome—A free, nation-wide HIV self-testing program
Stop HIV Iowa | HIV Testing Locator
HIV.gov | Testing and Services Locator
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month
Each year, the LGBTQ+ community celebrates during the month of June. Pride Month is a time to honor and celebrate the courage, resilience, and progress of LGBTQ+ individuals throughout history. It also serves as a reminder that we must continue to strive for a world where everyone can live freely and without fear of discrimination.
See Pride events scheduled in Iowa
Inclusive Sexual Health Services: Practical Guidelines for Providers & Clinics
June is Men's Health Month
Throughout June, Men’s Health Month aims to encourage boys and men to take charge of their overall health by implementing healthy living decisions.
Obviously, there's a lot we could say about men's health! It's a broad and important subject.
Here are a few resource highlights related men's health and HIV, STIs, and hepatitis:
Health Equity Spotlight
In the April newsletter, we introduced the concepts of public stigma and self stigma. This month, we will discuss public stigma further, and save self stigma to explore in July.
Public stigma happens when the public endorses negative stereotypes and prejudices, resulting in discrimination against people of certain communities. (nami.org)
Some examples of public stigma include…
- When words like "crazy," "dangerous," "incompetent" and other slang terms are used when talking about someone and their mental health.
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Jokes about race, ethnicity and religion.
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Halloween costumes of people or groups that draw on negative stereotypes.
- The media repeatedly framing people from certain groups in negative ways or using negative language to describe them.
Remember: when we hear people using language that produces stigma, we can speak up about it! We can also be role models for using non-stigmatizing language, so people hear other language being used and, ideally, reframe their thoughts and words. If you experience public stigma, you can join a support group or seek services to support yourself. To learn more, seek out first hand narratives from real people and what they have been through.
If you have any questions about health equity or would like to request that a certain topic be covered in the Health Equity Spotlight, please contact Alicia at alicia.mercado@idph.iowa.gov.
HIV:
STI:
Online Resources
The Iowa Division of Public Health; Bureau of HIV, STI, and Hepatitis; and the NuCara Capacity Extension Program have numerous web resources available!
Bureau of HIV, STI, and Hepatitis: The Bureau’s website provides state and county resources as well as data on chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis.
Stop HIV Iowa: Stop HIV Iowa provides information related to FREE HIV testing, prevention, and care services throughout the state.
PrEP Iowa: PrEP Iowa houses resources for providers and consumers related to pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and nPEP). This website also has information on Iowa’s TelePrEP program, which provides PrEP directly to patients using telemedicine.
Iowa Public Health Tracking Portal: The Iowa Public Health Tracking Portal serves as a centralized source for public health data.
Naloxone Iowa: Visit Naloxone Iowa for information on naloxone or Narcan, which can be used to halt or reverse an opioid overdose. Iowans can access free Narcan at commercial pharmacies or via an appointment with Iowa’s TeleNaloxone program, which mails Narcan directly to you.
Epi Update: The Epi Update is a weekly newsletter from the Center for Acute Disease Epidemiology (CADE) and the HHS Bureau of HIV, STI, and Hepatitis.
Your Life Iowa: If you or a loved one are facing a problem with alcohol, drugs, gambling, mental health or suicidal thoughts, you’re not alone. Iowa HHS created Your Life Iowa so Iowans can chat live, text, or call and get reliable information, treatment options, or find nearby help.
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