And We’ll Have Fun, Fun, Fun…
The Beach Boys had a great idea back in 1964 when Brian Wilson and Mike Love wrote that lyric—I mean, who doesn’t want to have fun?! Especially as we enter another beach season here in Rehoboth.
Of course, we want the fun to continue well beyond a single season. So don’t forget to be well “PrEPared” as you seek it out.
Take, for example, PrEP—pre-exposure prophylaxis. This is a daily medicine (Truvada®) which reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90 percent. (Among people who inject drugs, it reduces risk by more than 70 percent.) Combined with condoms (“PrEP + 1”), your risk of getting HIV from sex can be lowered even further.
About that HIV Testing (and aiming for long-term survivorship)…
In our 2017 survey, we asked if people had ever been tested for HIV. Among the almost-400 people who answered that question, just over half—53 percent—reported they had. Among men, two-thirds (67 percent) had been tested; 40 percent of women reported having been tested.
The percentage of people who had been tested varied considerably across age groups: 60 percent of those age 55 to 64 had been tested, but only 48 percent of those under age 55 had been.
HIV is treatable with anti-retroviral therapy (ART). On May 2, 2019 the Lancet published (on-line) the results of a long-term study of HIV transmission in gay couples where one person is HIV-positive and the other is not. The bottom line: When viral load is suppressed through ART, the risk of transmission is effectively zero.
Get tested! And if results are positive, get treated! CAMP Rehoboth can help—reach out to Salvatore Seeley or 302-227-5620.
CAMP Rehoboth Receives Grant from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
Last year, CAMP Rehoboth received its first AHF grant: $8000, which we used to offer testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)—i.e., chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis C, and syphilis—at newly-opened western Sussex County locations.
This year, we were awarded $25,000! Those funds will enable us to expand services at our existing test sites as well as open at least two additional sites—watch for announcements of those openings around the end of this month.
AND, the funding will enable us to offer an entirely new service: a support group for long-term HIV survivors. Our community is a prime retirement destination and—with the advent, some years ago, of effective treatments for HIV—some of those retirees are folks who have had HIV for a long time. They’ve asked us about developing a support group specifically for long-term HIV survivors—and CAMP Rehoboth has listened. Stay tuned for developments.
An Update from the Women’s FEST Health Fair
Beebe Healthcare offered a great day of community screening as Women’s FEST kicked off in April. Coordinated by Catherine Murphy, Community Health Coordinator in Beebe Healthcare’s Population Health Department, and located at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center, the Health Fair proved a popular destination.
Beebe nurses screened 40 women for blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, BMI (body mass index), and bone density. They screened an additional 22 for memory—a total of 62 screenings, Just under half of those screened were local folks; a few more were “beach birds”—i.e., part-time residents.
Some of those screened left with some especially important information to follow-up on with their healthcare providers, as screening results were abnormal. Those discoveries—and the subsequent healthcare visits—could make a real difference in these women’s lives: Undetected risks (such as high blood pressure) can lead all too easily to devastating outcomes.
The day was an important one for Beebe Healthcare, too, says Diane Barlow, of the Beebe Medical Foundation. “As a non-profit, community-based healthcare system, Beebe’s mission is to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health to all people living in or visiting Sussex County. Women’s FEST provided such a great opportunity for Beebe to extend its mission to so many women, both living here and visiting!”
The Health Fair clearly was a great addition to Women’s FEST. Plans are already being put in place for the Women’s FEST 2020 Health Fair.
Beat the Meters
CAMP Rehoboth’s Health & Wellness program is offering three classes this summer that you can enjoy without feeding those meters.
BROGA, (yoga for men) meets alternate Saturdays through August at 8:30 a.m. (May schedule differs slightly; classes this month meet May 18 & 25).
Yes2Health, FREE 12-week program meeting Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. at CAMP Rehoboth, featuring both weekly walking meet-ups and bi-weekly educational programs. Sponsored by the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition. Registration required. Call Connie at 302-212-2947 to register.
Tai Chi, class dates still being finalized. Check our online calendar for updates.
Is PrEP right for you?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it might be, if you fit into any of the below categories:
You are HIV negative AND you are a gay or bisexual man who:
⊲ Has an HIV-positive partner or
⊲ Has multiple partners, a partner with multiple partners, or a partner whose HIV status is unknown—and you also:
• Have anal sex without a condom, or
• Recently had a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
You are HIV negative AND a heterosexual (man or woman) who:
⊲ Has an HIV-positive partner; or
⊲ Has multiple partners, a partner with multiple partners, or a partner whose HIV status is unknown—and you also:
• Don’t always use a condom for sex with people who inject drugs or
• Don’t always use a condom for sex with bisexual men.
You are HIV negative AND you inject drugs AND you:
⊲ Share needles or equipment to inject drugs;
⊲ Recently went to a drug treatment program; or
⊲ Are at risk for getting HIV from sex.
Interested in learning more or in talking with a health care provider about PrEP? CAMP Rehoboth can help!
Contact Health and Wellness Director Salvatore Seeley or 302-227-5620 to talk about what’s available and how to connect with resources. We offer HIV (and other STI) testing, and referrals to LGBTQ-friendly health care navigators who are familiar with PrEP. These individuals can prescribe PrEP and the periodic lab testing its use requires, and can even help you find resources to pay for the drug if your insurer does not cover it.
We’d love to help you PrEPare yourself for a summer of fun!
Marj Shannon is an epidemiologist and wordsmith who has devoted her life to minutiae. She reports that yes, the devils are in the details. But claims she’s seen a few gods there, too.