SFCHC's LaVida Care program works to test and treat STIs, HIV, and other STDs with full support and no judgment. We're here to help you love yourself the way we do: by taking care of your health.
— Dr. Chris Angara, Program Director
Facing your quirks and vulnerabilities can be scary. So let LaVida Care do it with you! We see what makes you different, and we think it makes you wonderful. You CAN face a new diagnosis, and we'll be right beside you when you do.
For those at high risk for HIV, the healthcare they need is often too expensive, taboo in their culture, or too far away. The CDC reports that approximately 36,000 people are newly diagnosed with HIV each year. Around 13% of people who have the virus don't even know it and require testing to find out.
The LaVida Care program at SFCHC wants to shine light on the problem. Here you can get access to free HIV, STD, and STI testing in a safe, supportive space. Still shy? We've partnered with the L.A. County Department of Public Health to provide free in-home HIV test kits. Simply fill out a short online form, and then pick up a kit from our clinic. You can gain knowledge and power over your health with the convenience of grabbing takeout.
If you've ever had a first-edition book, a purebred pet, or a rare piece of memorabilia, you've maintained and protected it. Don't you deserve the same TLC? You're one of a kind, and your value accrues every day. There are medications available that protect against HIV infection, preserving your uniqueness for years. (While preserving the uniqueness of others by preventing the virus from spreading.) LaVida Care helps each patient find the best treatment for them, at no cost.
You can protect yourself from HIV in the way that best fits your life. If you're an HIV-negative person with high-risk habits, pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP may be right for you. (It comes in a daily pill for those who hate needles, injectable if you can't remember where you put your keys.) If you're not using PrEP but think you've been exposed to HIV, call LaVida Care immediately to see if PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) can help.
Through our involvement in L.A. Condom, LaVida Care also distributes free condoms at local festivals, college campuses, and health fairs in your community.
Protecting yourself and getting the treatment you need is a high form of self-care – but not the priciest. "At LaVida Care, we are dedicated to promoting positive sexual health and meeting individuals wherever they may be," says Dr. Chris Angara, HIV Program Manager. "Our services are accessible to all, regardless of insurance status, and at no cost."
See yourself as we do: special the way you are and deserving of the best care. Contact LaVida Care to start getting it today.
