The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once. You should be tested at least once a year if you have an ongoing risk for HIV. Sexually active gay and bisexual men may benefit from more frequent testing (every 3 to 6 months).

The Morongo Basin Healthcare District offers an education and outreach HIV program called “Get Tested Morongo Basin.” Our focus is on education and testing, prevention and linkage to treatment. We provide FREE in-home, rapid, painless oral swab HIV test kits with test results in 20 minutes.

Knowing your HIV status gives you powerful information to keep you and your partner(s) healthy. The sooner you know your status, the faster you can take action. If you do not have HIV, you can choose prevention strategies that work for you. If you test positive, you can get on a course of treatment. HIV treatment not only allows you access to a long, healthy life but also helps to prevent transmission of HIV to others.

If you test positive for HIV:

  • Schedule a medical appointment; there are medicines to treat HIV.
  • Take medicine as prescribed to make the amount of HIV in your blood (viral load) very low.
  • When a test cannot detect viral load, this is called UNDETECTABLE.
  • UNDETECTABLE means your HIV is UNTRANSMITTABLE to an HIV-negative partner through sex (U=U).

If you test negative for HIV:

People with ongoing risk should get tested frequently:

  • Participated in anal, vaginal, or oral sex in the past 6 months without consistent condom use with a sexual partner with an unknown HIV status or who has HIV
  • Continued behaviors that put you at higher risk for acquiring HIV
  • Diagnosed with or treated for a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the past 6 months
  • Diagnosed with or treated for hepatitis or tuberculosis
  • Used injected drugs and shared needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment (for example cookers) with others
  • Exchanged sex for drugs or money
  • Taken PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) more than once (PEP is an emergency medication taken within 72 hours of possible HIV exposure to prevent HIV)
  • Participated in sex with someone who has experienced any of the above or someone whose sexual history you do not know

What is PrEP?

If you don’t have HIV but are at risk, PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is medicine to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. PrEP can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. Currently, there are two FDA-approved daily oral medications for PrEP. A long-acting injectable form of PrEP has also been approved by the FDA. PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV when taken as indicated. In addition to reducing the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken as prescribed, among people who inject drugs, PrEP reduces the risk by at least 74%.

People with ongoing risk can prevent HIV by taking PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) medication:

  • Can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body
  • Taken every day, PrEP can provide a high level of protection against HIV
  • Currently, there are two daily oral and one long-acting injectable FDA-approved medications for PrEP
  • Highly effective at preventing HIV when taken as prescribed, reducing the risk through sex to 99%, and from injected drugs by 74%

Meet our Outreach Team!

Our HIV outreach team attends community events and meetings to provide education on Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and HIV. Hosting a community meeting or event you would like us to attend? We will provide an on-site presentation or 1:1 consultation. Call our outreach team at 760-365-9305, ext. 1514.

Want more information? Call 760-365-9192 to get a FREE, in-home HIV test kit or for a free, confidential consultation with our Community Outreach Nurse, Kathy Alkire, MA, MSN, RN. Or you may email her at kalkire@mbhdistrict.org.

Call our HIV Nurse Educator, Kathy Alkire, MA, MSN, RN, at 760-465-9192 to obtain an HIV test kit or to discuss HIV prevention or treatment.

Get informed. Talk with a healthcare provider. Prevention is key to avoiding HIV.

Helpful videos about HIV prevention and PrEP

This video is a concise HIV prevention education, including STDs, PrEP, needle use, and HIV.

This video is a great summary of self-test kit results, PEP, PrEP, and U=U.

This video is all about PrEP.

Facts and Myths about HIV:

Coming Soon