Radiant Health Centers’ Health Education & Outreach programs seek to inform and teach the public about LGBTQ+ health equity as well as how to avoid HIV transmissions and to know your status. Research has shown that knowing your status and how to prevent HIV transmission are essential in order to eliminate HIV disease.
Radiant Health Centers’ HIV education outreach includes:
Tiffany Hendrix
Director of Prevention & Health Education
949.809.8771
thendrix@radianthealthcenters.org
Josie Lopez
HIV/Hep C Counseling & Testing Coordinator
949.809.8771
jlopez@radianthealthcenters.org
Mario Casas
HIV Prevention Specialist
949.809.5727
mcasas@radianthealthcenters.org
Jonathan Ramirez
HIV Prevention Specialist
949.809.8770
jramirez@radianthealthcenters.org
New drugs and therapies have dramatically improved HIV treatment and the life expectancy of people living with HIV. While these effective medications have made a tremendous difference in people’s lives, they do have challenging side effects.
Fortunately, the number of Americans living with HIV has gone down over the years too. But, there are still Americans unaware that they’re HIV-+. Six in seven people nationally know their HIV status. Through the work of Radiant Health Centers and its partners in Orange County, nine in 10 people living with HIV here know their status, but an estimated 600 to 700 Orange County residents living with HIV don’t know it and can unknowingly pass it on to others. There is still important education and prevention work to be done. About 300 people every year in our community become HIV positive. Our goal is zero. Our prevention efforts include outreach to encourage people to know their status as well as helping people at risk for HIV transmission to access new medications that can help stop the virus’s transmission.
Four fluids transmit HIV into the body and bloodstream of another person:
Some people have become infected with HIV from blood transfusions or blood products; however, since 1985, donated blood has been tested so the risk is extremely low.
Unlike colds or flu viruses, HIV is not transmitted through the air, by touching, or by everyday casual contact. You do not have to worry about getting HIV from:
The best way to prevent HIV is to know your status. Radiant Health Centers provide free confidential testing. Click here to learn about testing hours and locations and other testing sites around the county.
For more information or to speak confidentially to a Radiant Health Centers’ Health Educator, please call 949.809.8771 or via e-mail at: thendrix@radianthealthcenters.org.
