OUTREACH
HIV Services
The Morongo Basin Healthcare District provides an education and outreach program called “Get Tested Morongo Basin.”
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.
The CDC recommends that everyone aged 13-64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine healthcare. If you are sexually active, you should talk to a health provider about how often you should get tested for HIV. A reasonable approach may include getting tested at least once a year.
In addition to testing, those with high risk factors look into a prescription for PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, which is medicine people at risk for HIV take 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% when taken as prescribed.
Consider PrEP if you:
- Test negative for HIV and you have had anal or vaginal sex in the past 6 months
- Have a sexual partner with HIV
- Do not consistently use a condom
- Have been diagnosed with an STD in the past 6 months
- Inject drugs
- Have an injection partner with HIV
- Share needles, syringes, or other injection equipment
If you are a woman and have a partner with HIV and are considering getting pregnant, talk to your doctor about PrEP – which may be an option to help protect you and your baby from getting HIV while you try to get pregnant, during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
There is currently a Memo of Understanding (MOU) between Morongo Basin Healthcare District (MBHD) and DAP Health (formerly Desert AIDS Project) Home – DAP Health for follow-up care and treatment for Morongo Basin residents, when necessary. For more information on PrEP click here CDC.
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, RN, MSN. Or you may email her at kalkire@mbhdistrict.org.
Covered CA Enrollment Assistance
Sheree Fansler,
Certified Enrollment Counselor
Are you looking for assistance in applying and enrolling in a healthcare plan through Covered CA or even Medi Cal? Not sure if you can afford it, or if you qualify for financial help?
Our Certified Enrollment Counselor, Sheree Fansler, can assist you, free-of-charge with questions about Covered California health plans.
“Open Enrollment for Covered California begins November 1, 2023, and runs through January 31. Call me today to schedule your appointment for free enrollment assistance.”
To schedule an appointment, call (760) 366-1546. Or you may visit CoveredCA.com.
CAL-Fresh
Our Outreach Team also provides assistance in signing up for CalFresh, the state of California’s food assistance program. CalFresh can help your family get access to healthy food. You can use CalFresh benefits at most grocery stores and even farmers markets. Learn more about this free program, or better yet, schedule an appointment with our Outreach Counselor, who can help you sign up or answer questions you may have. It’s free!
760-366-1546
