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Education Posts

Continuing The Care We Are Known For

by Dustin Gruber

Continuing The Care We Are Known For

Weekend Wrap Message – Saturday, August 8, From David Brinkman, Desert AIDS Project CEO

People With HIV Need Unique Care During COVID-19

People living with HIV, and especially anyone aging with HIV, need options that keep them continuously in care in spite of COVID. Since the beginning of DAP, our doctors have shared their experience with providers everywhere on best practices for providing excellent HIV care for their patients. When doctors help each other learn, patients always come out on top.

Dr. Jill Gover continued this on a panel by HealthHIV that examined managing HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic. She explored the impact of mental and sexual health on HIV care, based on decades of experience and feedback from the Behavioral Health Department at DAP. You can find out more here.

DAP In The News

Staying On Top Of Sexual Health

C.J. Tobe and his team’s work to tackle the current STI and HIV surges were featured in an article in The Standard. The story also explains the dangerous syndemic nature among HIV, STIs, and HCV, and the work being done by End The Epidemics to keep Californians safer. You can read more here.

Born to Be Film Screening

We know our transgender siblings face unimaginable alienation in healthcare settings, and a recent study from UC Riverside researchers in the School of Medicine backs that up.  Only 15% of individuals reported it was easy to find a provider with sufficient knowledge and experience on issues related to transgender people. That isn’t the case at DAP, and we’re committed to fighting this stigma by sharing stories of transgender people as they navigate their journeys of transformation.

We’re partnering with the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care - Greater Palm Springs to host a free virtual screening of Born To Be on August 13. It’s a documentary that follows the trans and gender non-conforming individuals who are changing their lives at the groundbreaking  Mount Sinai Hospital. Learn more and RSVP at https://bit.ly/BORNTOBE #BornToBeFilm

Spike in HIV and STIs Troubles Preventio …

by Dustin Gruber

Media Contact:
Jack Bunting
[email protected]
(760)323-2118

Spike in HIV and STIs Troubles Prevention Experts at DAP

Palm Springs, CA (July 16, 2020) -- Steadily rising rates of HIV, syphilis, and chlamydia in the Coachella Valley are showing that the last five months of living in the “new normal” has interfered with people taking care of their sexual health. These rates pose a significant threat to our community, one that is already fatigued from socially isolating and nervous about coming indoors for testing and medical visits.

By using DAP’s new at-home HIV testing resources, clients no longer have to put their health on hold if they are sheltering in place. Anyone interested in using these resources or have questions about accessing sexually health services should email [email protected] or contact April Cruz, Community Health Diagnostic Testing & Outreach Manager at 760-656-8425.

DAP Testing data from June shows why community health experts have reason to worry. According to DAP, there were:

  • Triple the amount of new HIV infections, compared to any other month in the last year and-a-half,
  • Double the amount of new syphilis infections compared to May,
  • Double the chlamydia cases (a six-month trend!).

“If we take our finger off the pulse of the existing HIV and STI epidemic, we will undo the progress we’ve made in preventing new transmissions,” said C.J. Tobe, Director of Community Health. “The lack of routine testing and treatment is only going to add to the tragedy of COVID-19.”

What Is A Syndemic?

Together, HIV, HCV and STIs create a syndemic—a set of linked health problems that interact synergistically and exacerbate poor health outcomes.

For example, having an STD increases the likelihood of acquiring HIV.  Among people who are living with HCV and HIV, HCV progresses faster and more than triples the risk for liver disease, liver failure, and liver related death. These epidemics are also driven by similar social and economic conditions and disproportionately impact many of the same disadvantaged communities.

DAP is part of End The Epidemics, a statewide working group of approximately 160 public health and community organizations urging Governor Newsom and the California Legislature to empower key stakeholders as soon as possible to fund and implement California’s strategy to end the HIV, HCV, and STI epidemics.

About End The Epidemics

The California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Centers, together with HIV, viral hepatitis, and STD community-based organizations across California, have launched a community-driven effort to inform development of a statewide plan to end the HIV, HCV, and STD epidemics in California. What makes this initiative innovative and unique – in addition to community leadership – is its ambitious goal of addressing these health conditions as a syndemic – a set of linked health problems that interact synergistically and exacerbate poor health outcomes. The syndemic approach differs from the biomedical approach in that it treats diseases concurrently and also addresses the social determinants of health that drive these epidemics. To learn more, visit: www.chprc.org/end-the-epidemics/

About Desert AIDS Project

Desert AIDS Project (DAP) is a Community Health Center in Palm Springs, CA offering DAP Total Care – a combination of medical, dental, counseling, social services, support groups, alternative therapies, in-house pharmacy and lab, and other health and wellness services.  DAP’s sexual health clinic, The DOCK, offers STD testing and treatment for only $25 per visit, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. DAP’s Get Tested Coachella Valley campaign, the nation’s first region-wide free HIV testing and access to care initiative, was recognized by the White House for helping to bring about an AIDS-free future.  DAP has earned a “Four Star” rating from Charity Navigator for the sixth consecutive year – landing DAP in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that we exceed industry standards in terms of our financial health, accountability, and transparency.

Greater Kansas City or Coachella Valley, …

by Dustin Gruber

Greater Kansas City or Coachella Valley, Dr. Foltz lives to heal his community

For the Coachella Valley, it is a good thing that Dr. Christopher Foltz was on staff at Desert AIDS Project as the COVID-19 health crisis unfolded.

Already an integral member of the Infectious Disease team since 2017, he conceived the idea for a COVID-19 Triage Clinic at DAP and inspired a team of healthcare professionals to launch it successfully with him. He also managed validation testing for the antibody test, an important step to establish reliability, as clinicians everywhere grapple with unproven testing products. 

As the crisis unfolds, he continues to innovate with his team to serve more people with options like drive-up services and asymptomatic testing. Within a few weeks of opening, the COVID-19 Triage Clinic had already saved lives, alleviated pressure on local emergency rooms, and helped calm frazzled nerves among patients.

But the physician credited with spearheading the operation started building his skillset long beforehand in Kansas City, heavily influenced by its community values and its learning institutions. It would require spending five years in L.A. first, but Dr. Foltz has come to find that he sees Kansas City emulated the most here in the Coachella Valley. He’s pleased with that. 

Surprisingly similar: the Coachella Valley and Kansas City

For all of their geographical differences, Kansas City and the Coachella Valley are a lot alike if you are living in poverty, cut off from medical and behavioral healthcare, or other life essentials. Much of the populations live farther away from the city centers where services are offered. Issues like poor transportation, inadequate childcare, and problems with phone and internet access create unique barriers to access.

Many of the social determinants affecting both populations also remain the same. Higher instances of substance abuse and mental health issues create areas of need that are not commonly addressed in the traditional healthcare system. And a high population of undocumented and legal immigrants struggle to access services amid language and cultural barriers.

One of the silver linings no matter where he practices, according to Dr. Foltz, is the gratitude that most patients express when they receive competent medical care, some for the first time in their lives.

Feels like Kansas City right here in the Coachella Valley

Another similarity between Kansas City and the Coachella Valley is the feeling of a tight knit community, even though people are spread out.

“One of the things I attribute most to being from the Midwest is the sense of community and caring that was always around,” he said. “This is something I now feel very similarly in Palm Springs.”

After a three-year internal medicine residency at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center and a two-year infectious disease fellowship at UCLA, although thankful, Dr. Foltz felt anonymous in the second largest city in the U.S.

“In L.A., there was a sense of being a small fish in a big pond,” said Dr. Foltz. “In the Midwest it always seemed the opposite.”

“As a resident of Kansas City and a supporter of Desert AIDS Project, I am proud that a young doctor from KUMC is leading Palm Springs’ COVID-19 response at DAP,” said humanitarian and philanthropist Annette Bloch. “Kansas City and the Coachella Valley share a lot in common, most importantly people who care about one another.”

Dr. Foltz was made for this crisis—roots sprouted at JayDoc Free Clinic

Before he would go on to complete his Internal Medicine residency at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, and then an infectious disease fellowship at UCLA, his work ethic and skillset had been melded with the values of Midwest America—hard work, mixed with caring for your community.

Dr. Foltz knew his passion was serving those struggling with poverty, and he was able to hone his skillset at the JayDoc Free Clinic, located at the University of Kansas in Kansas City. Serving about 1,000 patients annually since its launch in 2003, it provides urgent and primary care to the underserved and uninsured populations of Greater Kansas City.

By the time he arrived on the West Coast, Dr. Foltz was already groomed to lead a clinic—not just the nuts-and-bolts operations, but as a strategic leader. He started at JayDoc as Assistant Director of Research and then served as an Executive Director. He went on to serve on its Board of Directors during his time in medical school at the University of Kansas. 

According to him, Dr. Foltz gravitated to the field of Microbiology early in his college career, fascinated that such simple things like bacteria, fungi, and viruses could create such havoc on civilizations. As time went on, that fascination shifted to how the study of these simple organisms could lead to antibiotics and vaccines.

“That’s when I knew Infectious disease was going to be my specialty, because I could see in real time how this knowledge could make a difference,” he said.

JayDoc Free Clinic is completely Medical student managed and operated, and that’s no small fete. The leadership team were responsible for everything: grant writing, finances, administration, volunteers, and operations.

“It was truly rewarding, and that experience really cemented my desire to work on behalf of the underserved community.”

Dr. Foltz built his career excelling at direct patient care, but his practical experience at JayDoc gave him the unique skillset to conceive of DAP’s COVID-19 Triage Clinic, and then to oversee its opening and manage its current functioning. Combined with his clinical knowledge as a board-certified Infectious Disease physician, he is making a measurable difference in the lives of his patients, as well as his staff and the community.

And true to his Midwest roots, sharing credit with others comes naturally to him.

“I am just one member of an incredible team of clinical, administrative, and operational staff.”

Dr. Foltz himself is no stranger to gratitude.

“More than ever I am incredibly thankful for that background,” he said. “I am using all these skills in real-time as we study characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 disease, Coronavirus testing, and potential therapeutics and prevention methods.”

A certain humanitarian is also part of that background.

When JayDoc Free Clinic would close down for the day, Dr. Foltz and his colleagues were permitted to see patients in the evenings at a very special community clinic, thanks to the generosity of its founder and lead physician, Dr. Sharon Lee.

“I got to work very close with her the two years I served administrative positions at JayDoc,” Dr. Foltz said. “Her work ethic and passion for her mission and community is something I still to this day try to aspire to.”

Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care was founded in 1989 by Dr. Sharon Lee to help alleviate suffering for people coping with HIV and AIDS. Just as with DAP, the great care provided became a staple in that community for everyone, and the clinic became a Federally Qualified Health Center.

“She was truly remarkable and one of the hardest working women in medicine I have ever met,”
 Dr. Foltz said. “She would do anything to help us at the drop of a hat.”

Recently the FQHC was renamed Sharon Lee Family Health Care, in honor of its founder.

Get Access To the Care You Need

One Call is a service that can enroll callers in health insurance or Medi-Cal through Covered California, register them for medical and behavioral healthcare, and schedule their first appointment at DAP — all in approximately 45 minutes. This is a significant reduction in the amount of time this would normally take, thanks to a DAP Healthcare Navigator who will work one-on-one with each caller.

Callers can access One Call service by calling 760-992-0426, Monday – Friday, 9am – 4pm PDT.

Click to Connect to An Enrollment Specialist

Sexual Health Clinic - Palm Springs

1695 N. Sunrise Way Palm Springs, CA 92262

Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 AM (Closed for lunch from noon-1:00 PM)

Call 760-992-0492 to schedule an appointment.

To reach our after-hours answering service, please call (760) 323-2118.

Click Here to Call the Sexual Health Clinic

Possibilities of love, intimacy, hope an …

by Dustin Gruber

Possibilities of love, intimacy, hope and sex for PLWHA

This is the third in a series of four Q&A posts capturing founder Bruce Richman’s perspectives on our movement to end HIV stigma with U=U, Prevention Access Campaign, and all of us. Recently he talked with us on DAP LIVE.

Question:

I read that you ascribe to the Buddhist philosophy of ‘be happy and help others be happy’. Tell me about how that formed. I mean, what you've done is you've created this movement; you've created social impact. You've created social change.

I think a lot of people wonder how they can start in some small way to be part of the solution, if not in this movement, in another movement.

When I look at U=U it's like holding a sign that claims the intrinsic value of human beings, of all human beings. And that's so powerful.

Answer:

I was driven by the unfairness that this information was only getting to me. This is life changing, incredibly important information. It was getting to folks like myself; white, privileged and well connected. But, everybody needed to have this information. And I felt like it was bringing the possibility of love and intimacy and hope and sex to people. I was just driven by that—this made me happy. I want to help other people be happy.

Especially people who are already marginalized by healthcare systems that are not responsive to their needs, or are designed to eliminate them.

I couldn't understand why some people in the field wouldn't share the U=U message. It's so basic— when you go to a restaurant and you like the restaurant, you tell somebody.  You see a good movie, you want to share it, right? So why were you enjoying U=U for the last five years with your partner, but you didn't tell your own staff?

When you're starting a movement, you have to be driven by truth. Especially for something that's so radically challenging to the status quo in the medical establishment and within the community itself, with its norms, power structures, and alliances-- you just have to be driven by truth.

You just have to keep going. You just have to keep focusing on principles, like be happy and let other people be happy, and that the truth will set you free. We can't give up, even though it seems like sometimes we're not going to win, you know?

Question:

I've read language is really important to you. It's very important to be specific and clear about what U=U means, right? Talk to me about that specific language for someone who wants to share this information and use the right language. What is that language?

Answer:

It's important to be really clear when you talk about U=U,  especially if you talk about risk, because we're talking about the risk between one human being and another human being in the most intimate moments of our lives. And that language can either bring us so much joy, hope and freedom that we never thought would be possible, or it could destroy us.

So, when you say things like can't transmit, or no risk, that's great. We could even say zero risk as top scientists are saying. The CDC has said you can say U=U.

It gets dangerous when we say things like almost no risk or virtually no risk, or extremely low risk –

this opens up a little window of risk, right?

And that's still a risk. And any window of risk puts our lives at risk for all kinds of harm, internal or external harm. So it's really important to be clear in that description. And then also not just in the language, but how you say it.

There are people whom you might've heard say, “I believe in U=U, but use a condom just in case.”

That but acts like a big eraser.

Another way of saying it is:

“I believe in U=U, and you might want to consider using a condom to prevent other STIs or an unintended pregnancy.”

Another fallacy?

“I believe in U=U, but you're only as good as your last viral load test.”

Nope. Viral loads do not shoot up to infectious levels with minor blips. If you're taking your medication and you get your labs done, you should have no problem. Blips are not anything of consequence. Just take your medication, get your labs done and stay connected to care.

One of the worst catch-alls is, “Oh, I believe U=U, but you never know.”

The truth is, we DO know, and it's okay. U=U.

Prevention Access Campaign offers a whole workshop on how to communicate about U=U, a helpful resource for anyone who wants to make sure they can speak the facts. Many who work in healthcare and social work still struggle with this topic.

Get Access To the Care You Need

One Call is a service that can enroll callers in health insurance or Medi-Cal through Covered California, register them for medical and behavioral healthcare, and schedule their first appointment at DAP — all in approximately 45 minutes. This is a significant reduction in the amount of time this would normally take, thanks to a DAP Healthcare Navigator who will work one-on-one with each caller.

Callers can access One Call service by calling 760-992-0426, Monday – Friday, 9am – 4pm PDT.

Click to Connect to An Enrollment Specialist

Sexual Health Clinic - Palm Springs

1695 N. Sunrise Way Palm Springs, CA 92262

Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 AM (Closed for lunch from noon-1:00 PM)

Call 760-992-0492 to schedule an appointment.

To reach our after-hours answering service, please call (760) 323-2118.

Click Here to Call the Sexual Health Clinic

Birth of U=U = People losing fear over H …

by Dustin Gruber

Birth of U=U = People losing fear over HIV testing

This is the first in a series of four Q&A posts capturing founder Bruce Richman’s perspectives on our movement to end HIV stigma with U=U, Prevention Access Campaign, and all of us. Recently he talked with us on DAP LIVE.

Question: How did this all get started? I know for you, it was a very personal experience that brought the science behind this to the forefront. You've talked about it being your calling.

Answer: Absolutely. I learned that because I had an undetectable viral load, I couldn't transmit HIV through sex back in 2012, and that was nine years after my diagnosis. And it changed everything for me because I never thought that I could have sex or conceive children, or just even be intimate with someone without that fear of passing on HIV. And it just, it just rocked my world.

But then I found out that so many people weren't being told about it and they were being told that they were infectious--and they weren't infectious. And it was happening on a massive scale.

So that's kind of how this all started happening is they're talking to other people who also knew U=U is true. And I found some wonderful people in the field who were in leadership positions who would join with me. And in summer of 2016, we created a consensus statement with scientists to confirm that U=U is true. And then we took that statement and went out and got influential people and organizations like Desert AIDS Project to sign on and to join us endorsing that when you're undetectable and you're on treatment, you cannot transmit HIV through sex. U=U.

Find out more about Bruce Richman, U=U, and Prevention Access Campaign at preventionaccess.org

You can watch the 20 minute interview with Steven by clicking here.

Sexual Health Clinic - Palm Springs

1695 N. Sunrise Way Palm Springs, CA 92262

Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 AM (Closed for lunch from noon-1:00 PM)

Call 760-992-0492 to schedule an appointment.

To reach our after-hours answering service, please call (760) 323-2118.

Click to Call Our Sexual Health Clinic

Obtenga seguro médico y atención con D …

by Dustin Gruber

Obtenga seguro médico y atención con DAP — En una solo una  llamada

Contacto:

Navegador de Salud

(760) 992-0426

Acceso a estos servicios para residentes del Valle que han sido despedidos

Palm Springs, CA - Mayo 6, 2020 - Desert AIDS Project (DAP) ha lanzado “One Call”, un servicio que puede inscribir a las personas que llaman a un seguro de salud o Medi-Cal a través de Covered California, registrarlas para atención médica y de salud conductual, y programar su primera cita en DAP-- todo en un tiempo aproximado de 45 minutos. Esta es una reducción significativa de tiempo a comparación de lo que normalmente tomaría, gracias a un navegador de atención médica de DAP que trabajará uno a uno con cada persona que llama. Personas pueden acceder al servicio “One Call” llamando al 760-992-0426, Lunes a Viernes 9am-4pm PDT.

DAP lanzó “One Call” en apoyo a cada trabajador del Valle de Coachella que ha perdido sus ingresos laborales, así como cualquiera que busca cuidar mejor su salud durante esta crisis de salubridad. La complejidad de acceder a la atención médica mientras se da sentido a la “nueva normalidad” puede ser abrumadora, pero DAP está ofreciendo un acceso oportuno y conveniente a servicios al eliminar gran parte de la frustración y las presunciones.

“Cuando el acceso a los servicios se vuelven difíciles, es más probable que las personas renuncien a participar en su propia salud”, dijo CJ Tobe, Director de Salud Comunitaria. “No vamos a perder personas en esta comunidad porque no hemos podido mantenerlos conectados”.

Los clientes de DAP recientemente iniciaron a conectarse y acceder a la atención en visitas virtuales a través de “MyChart” donde se comunican con sus médicos y terapeutas como una alternativa para no acudir a DAP en persona.

Accediendo a una buena atención desde donde se encuentren, los clientes están utilizando esta herramienta fácil en teléfonos inteligentes, tabletas, PC y MAC con conexión a internet y cámara web.

Free, confidential HIV and Hep C testing …

by Dustin Gruber

Free, confidential HIV and Hep C testing, plus $25 STI testing, at our mobile unit

by Ruth Diaz De Leon, Community Health Educator 

Here at Desert AIDS Project, we understand our community has many concerns regarding the COVID19 pandemic.

We can assure you that we are taking all the necessary precautions to protect our community's health. All patients are pre-screened for possible COVID19 symptoms before they are seen for services.

Our Community Health Department is offering confidential testing at our mobile unit that will be located directly in front of the Green and blue Clinics.

We offer FREE HIV and Hepatitis C screenings that are confidential and private.

STI testing for Syphilis, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia is just $25 and includes initial treatment.

Here at Desert AIDS Project, we don't reject people for their inability to pay.

Appointments accepted -- Walk-ins welcome! Monday – Friday 8am-5pm with our last appointment seen at 3:30pm. 

Use MyChart or call The DOCK at (760) 992-0492 to schedule an appointment today. Due to high demand for our services, appointment slots can fill up quickly, we recommend arriving when we open. If you are planning to walk into The DOCK for services after 3 p.m., you should call ahead and check for availability.

Thank you for considering us for your sexual health needs.

Se ofrecen pruebas gratuitas y confidenc …

by Dustin Gruber

Se ofrecen pruebas gratuitas y confidenciales de VIH y Hepatitis C en nueva unidad móvil

by Ruth Diaz De Leon, Community Health Educator 

En Desert AIDS Project, entendemos que nuestra comunidad tiene muchas preocupaciones por  la pandemia de la COVID19, pero podemos asegurarles que estamos tomando todas las precauciones necesarias para proteger la salud de nuestra comunidad. Todos los pacientes son evaluados previamente para detectar posibles síntomas de la COVID19 antes de ser atendidos para recibir servicios.

El Departamento de Community Health estará ofreciendo pruebas confidenciales en nuestra unidad móvil que se ubicará directamente al frente de las clínicas Verde y Azul.

Ofrecemos pruebas gratuitas de VIH y Hepatitis C, así como pruebas de Syphilis, Chlamydia y Gonorrea con un costo de $25 dólares, en Desert AIDS Project, no rechazamos a las personas por no poder pagar.

También ofrecemos información/educación sobre cualquiera de las pruebas que hacemos.

Estaremos disponibles Lunes a Viernes de 8am- 5pm con nuestra ultima cita a las 3:30pm.

Gracias por considerarnos para sus necesidades de salud sexual.

DAP and Trenton Ducati announce a new co …

by Dustin Gruber

DAP and Trenton Ducati announce a new collaborative for sexual stigma busting in the age of COVID-19.

Contact: Jack Bunting
[email protected]
(760) 323-2118 

Media Alert:

Who: DAP and Trenton Ducati

What: Teaming up to talk about sex in the age of COVID-19

Where: Online and radio

When: Throughout spring 2020

Why: Despite social distancing in the age of COVID-19, people are putting themselves and others at risk by seeking in-person hookups, using social media apps.

How:  Coming to the community in a series of live online events, ads and blog posts

Palm Springs, CA March 30, 2020 -- Desert AIDS Project (DAP) and Trenton Ducati announce a new collaborative for sexual stigma busting in the age of COVID-19.  Exploring new ways of sexual expression that adhere to social distancing, both will bring their expertise in their fields in an effort to keep sexual wellness on the minds and lips of anyone who might be at risk.

DAP has been fighting sexual stigma in the Coachella Valley for 36 years and will provide fact-based, sex-positive information through leaders like C.J. Tobe, Director of Community Health at DAP.

Trenton Ducati is a leading gay adult film star who’s also established himself as a producer and promoter. He owns adult brands like Ducati Studios, Gentlemen’s Closet, Nasty Daddy, and TrentonDucati.com. He will share insights from trends he sees in the adult entertainment industry.

“COVID-19 has changed the world, including our sex lives,” said C.J. Tobe, Director of Community Health at DAP. “We want our community to continue talking openly and honestly about sexual health in this new era.”

Desert AIDS Project offers judgement free HIV testing, PrEP/PEP services, and STI testing and treatment regardless how you practice social distancing.

“I’m ecstatic to work with DAP to get the message out,” said Trenton Ducati. “Let’s save our community by turning on some porn and staying home.”

Click here to download a copy of Sex & COVID-19 in English
Haga clic aquí para descargar una copia de Sexo y COVID-19 en Español

For a look at DAP’s kick-off piece A Guide to Sex during COVID-19 click here.

About Desert AIDS Project
Desert AIDS Project (DAP) is a Federally Qualified Health Center in Palm Springs, CA offering DAP Total Care – a combination of medical, dental, counseling, social services, support groups, alternative therapies, in-house pharmacy and lab, and other health and wellness services. DAP’s sexual health clinic, The DOCK, offers STI testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. DAP’s Get Tested Coachella Valley campaign, the nation’s first region-wide free HIV testing and access to care initiative, was recognized by the White House for helping to bring about an AIDS-free future. DAP has earned a “Four Star” rating from Charity Navigator for the twelfth consecutive year – landing DAP in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that we exceed industry standards in terms of our financial health, accountability, and transparency.

Visit www.desertaidsproject.org, www.thedockclinic.org, and www.gettestedcoachellavalley.org to learn more.

###

Sex and COVID-19

by Dustin Gruber

Sexual Health Clinic

Our sexual health clinic offers $25 STI testing & treatment. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), & free HIV and Hep C testing.

Sex and COVID-19

I'm CJ Tobe, The Director of Community Health at Desert AIDS Project. The COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt caused stress around the world. When we are stressed we don't think about the potential consequences. We subconsciously take action to reduce stress and escape reality by overeating, change in exercise, and have more sex.

COVID-19 has changed the world including our sex life. We now live in a world where we are told to adapt social distancing. This new concept is difficult for many of us to follow since many of us use sex as a stress relief.

I utilize gay social media apps like many of you. (Grindr, Scruff, BBRT, ADAM4ADAM, Etc.) I'm still getting invites to group sex, to party n Play, like COVID-19 is a not real. COVID-19 is real. COVID-19 is as real as HIV, and as real as a STD.

What does sex look like, knowing social distancing is not a realistic 'all or nothing' concept for many of us living amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

The best sex is with yourself: Open up your favorite porn site, select your favorite scene, and masturbate. Choke the chicken as much as you want. Maybe, it's time to subscribe to the hottie's Only Fans account you have been fantasizing about. 

Be creative (Use your imagination) use technology: FaceTime, Cam, Sext, or go vintage and have phone sex. 

Pre-screen your sexual partners: Ask them if they have a fever over 100 degrees, or a cough. Anyone with symptoms, including yourself should stay home and avoid people for at least 2 weeks. But what if it's someone you have been eyeing for months, and can't pass up the opportunity to meet? Then maybe it's time to role play the doctor/patient fantasy you've had and wear a mask while you have sex.

Foreplay: You and your partner washing hands for 20 seconds before and after sex. Maybe you can start foreplay in the bathroom with some booty slaps or massaging while washing your hands.

Play with one partner: Now is the time to limit your sexual partners. More is not the merrier when living in a COVID-19 pandemic.  Pick out that one sexual partner that is most available and gives you the best orgasm. Entice them to become your regular sex partner during this pandemic to lower both of your risk of acquiring COVID-19. 

Last but not least condoms: Condoms not only help prevent HIV, STDs, but also lower the risk of acquiring COVID-19. Condoms are recommended for oral sex too. Wrap it before you tap it.

Please utilize any of the above techniques that will fulfill your sexual needs during the new world of social distancing. 

Desert AIDS Project offers judgement free HIV testing, PrEP/PEP services, and STD testing and treatment regardless how you practice social distancing. Learn more at www.thedockclinic.org.

Click here to download a copy of Sex & COVID-19 in English
Haga clic aquí para descargar una copia de Sexo y COVID-19 en Español