Take Pride in Your Health

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Did you know that you have a superpower? In a world where not everyone is accepted, you have an advantage: you know who you are, and you love who that is.

Your Health is Part of You

Too many people are afraid to look at themselves and see all of the real person they are. But not you! You’ve accepted what makes you different and realized that it makes you wonderful. Since you’ve already slain that dragon, you can certainly take on another scary subject: your health.

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 reveals that approximately 36,000 individuals are newly diagnosed with HIV each year, with around 13 percent of them unaware of their status and requiring testing.

“At LaVida Care, we are dedicated to promoting positive sexual health and meeting individuals wherever they may be,”

- Dr. Chris Angara, HIV Program Director

The LaVida Care program at SFCHC wants to be a light in this dark world. Here you can get access to free HIV, STD, and STI testing in a safe, supportive space. Need more privacy? We’ve partnered with the L.A. County Department of Public Health to provide free in-home HIV test kits. Just fill out a short form and get a kit mailed to your door. You already know your true self. You have the courage to know your status, too.

Visit the LaVida Care website to get started!

You’re Irreplaceable, So Be a Caretaker

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.

Visit the LaVida Care website to get started!

Through our involvement in L.A. Condom, LaVida Care also distributes free condoms at venues and events like these:

• CSUN Pride Center
• San Fernando Valley Pride
• Gay-Straight Alliance Club at Sylmar Charter High School
• DTLA Proud
• Burbank Pride

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 Director. “Our services are accessible to all, regardless of insurance status, and at no cost.”

You are GREAT at being yourself. Visit lavidacare.org to be great at taking care of yourself, too.

Whole Person. Whole Care.

Author

Heather Hillstrom For several years, Heather Hillstrom has proudly provided copywriting and videography services to support SFCHC's mission of compassionate care for all who need it. She gained much of her experience and education at prominent advertising and marketing firms, with clients in healthcare, real estate, medical technology, and environmental products and activism, among others. Her writing portfolio includes DVD/Blu-ray bonus features for Paramount’s RANGO and Disney’s LOST, nearly all the content for the latter’s companion website Lost University, and a radio and television campaign that aired during the Olympics. She wrote on the multi-award-winning web series NONE IN THE OVEN and her feature script HIT OR STAND was a Second Rounder at Austin Film Festival and a PAGE Awards quarterfinalist. Many of her projects and awards can be viewed at www.hungrypictures.com.