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KFHC mailing address: 9700 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA 93311
family
health
Be PrEPared: Prevent HIV
You’re HIV
positive—now
what?
If you have tested positive for HIV,
there are many resources that can
help you.
The Health Education and
Linkage Program (HELP) and the
Kern Lifeline Program both work to
help you access the services you
need and create a care plan for you.
Below is the contact information for
both programs:
Kern County Public Health
Services, HELP Program
1800 Mount Vernon Ave.
Bakersfield, CA 93306
661-321-3000
Clinica Sierra Vista,
Kern Lifeline Project
2000 Physicians Blvd.,
second floor
Bakersfield, CA 93301
661-324-3262
HIV: Get tested!
sexual health
When I was 70 years old, I
tested positive for HIV. By that
time, I had full-blown AIDS,
but nobody had ever thought
to test me. HIV/AIDS can
come from anywhere, even if
you don’t think you’re at risk.
And even though it’s now a
manageable disease, it’s not
something you want as your
companion for the rest of your
life. Please, get tested.
Today.
PrEP, or Pre-exposure Prophylaxis,
is a new medication that helps
prevent people from becoming
infected with HIV. This medication is
used for people who have a high risk
of getting HIV, like those who:
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Have sex with multiple partners.
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Have sex without condoms.
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Are men who have sex with other
men.
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Use drugs that are injected.
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Have a partner who has HIV.
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Have had another sexually
transmitted disease (STD).
Talk to your doctor about PrEP
if you feel that you are at risk of
becoming infected with HIV. A
person who is taking PrEP should
still use condoms at all times. If you
inject drugs, never share or reuse
needles.
Sources: AIDS.gov; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
H
uman immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) is a serious
disease. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
recommends that everyone
between the ages of 13 and 64 be
screened for HIV. If you are older or
younger than these ages, you may
also need to be screened. A simple
blood test is all it takes! How often
you get screened depends on your
level of risk. Since Kern County has
high rates of HIV, you may need to
get screened more often.
Talk to your doctor if you aren’t
sure what your risk is. You can
request an HIV test from your
doctor at any time.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Kern County Department of Public
Health; Martha Warriner; U.S. Preventive Services Task Force