Kern Family Health Care | Family Health | Summer 2019

KFHC office address: 5701 Truxtun Ave., No. 201, Bakersfield, CA 93309 FAMILY HEALTH 4 Q Does my child need to be tested for lead? A If your child has been exposed to lead, talk to your doctor about getting them tested. There’s no safe level of lead in kids’ blood. Even low amounts can affect your child’s IQ and ability to pay attention. That’s why it’s so crucial to stop your child from coming into contact with lead, especially if your child is under 6. And they tend to put their hands—or other things that may be contaminated with lead— into their mouths. Carlos Bello, MPH, CHES, senior health educator Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Q What can I do about substance abuse? A Get help! Substance abuse is one of the leading causes of other health problems. Issues related to substance use are: ●  ● Teenage and/or unplanned pregnancies. ●  ● STDs and HIV/AIDS. ●  ● Relationship and child abuse. ●  ● Fist fights, murder, suicide and other crimes. Alcohol misuse is also a risk factor for these problems. It is a pattern of drinking that can cause harm to one’s health, ability to work or social problems. If you need help, talk to your PCP about being screened. Your PCP can help counsel you and connect you with services. Flor Del Hoyo, MPH, member health educator Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; World Health Organization, Healthy People 2020 Q Should I get tested for HIV? A Get tested for HIV at least once a year. But get tested more frequently if you have had more than one sexual partner since your last HIV test. Also get tested more often if: ●  ● You are a sexually active gay or bisexual man. ●  ● You had sex with a partner living with HIV who has an active/unknown viral load. ●  ● You shared needles to inject drugs. ●  ● You have had sex for drugs or other goods. ●  ● You have another sexually transmitted infection like hepatitis or tuberculosis. ●  ● You had sex with anyone who has done anything listed above. ●  ● You had sex with someone with an unknown sexual history. Getting tested is also crucial to protect your baby if you’re pregnant or planning to have a child. Give Kern Family Health Care a call at 800-391-2000 if you need help locating a testing site. Bernardo Ochoa, MPH, member health educator Health educator corner