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York County Client Services HIV Prevention Services Peabody House en español |
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Additional funding provided
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HIV Prevention Services
HIV Prevention Services Our prevention staff provides information, resources, and anonymous HIV testing to help curb the spread of HIV in Cumberland and York counties. We provide individual and group risk reduction counseling, community education, safer sex supplies, and rapid anonymous HIV antibody testing to a wide array of people, including GLBTQ youth and adults, students of all ages, people who use drugs or alcohol, women in prison, people who are homeless, racial and ethnic minorities, and many others who might be at risk for HIV, STD’s or Hepatitis C. Prevention staff are always happy to talk with groups or individuals who need supportive counseling, group education or testing. Outreach Based on state priorities, we target outreach to men who have unsafe sex with men; injection drug users; and females at very high risk of infection. Outreach is a peer intervention conducted face-to-face in public areas, where high-risk groups congregate. Outreach workers distribute condoms and educational materials and refer people to our anonymous HIV testing or other services as needed. Targeted outreach results in higher levels of access to services. We also collaborate with other agencies and businesses, such as Blackstones (www.blackstones.com), Styxx (www.styxxportland.com), Maine Street (www.mainestreetogunquit.com), and Club Inside Out (www.clubinsideout.com). We also collaborate with local businesses and area social service agencies. GO Portland [www.goportland.net], which gives gay men an opportunity to socialize outside of bars and the Internet includes a discussion group, volleyball, lending library, and book club facilitated by our Men’s Health Specialist Elmer Shelton.. Information about HIV/AIDS, literature, and safer sex supplies are always available. GO Ogunquit offers similar activities in York County. For more information contact our York office: 363-3558 ext.104. Testing Our Portland prevention office is located at 49 Oak Street. Our York County prevention office is located in Meadowbrook Plaza (647 Route 1), Suite 303.in York, ME. Rapid, anonymous HIV antibody testing is free. Our weekly walk-in testing hours in Portland are on Wednesdays from 12pm-7pm. Our walk-in hours for the York office are Tuesdays from 1pm-4pm. We use Oraquick oral swab tests with results available in under an hour. HIV/STD test clinics are held in Sanford at York County Community Health Center the 1 st Monday of each month from 4pm-6pm and in our York Meadowbrook office the 1 st Tuesday of each month from 4pm-6pm. . We also hold free, walk-in test events several times throughout the year. For more information about test times and places, visit our testing page or call our testing cell phone at 749-6818. HIV/STD / Hepatitis Education In 2006, staff and members of our speakers’ bureau provided almost 70 hours of community education services. An important part of our work is to reduce stigma, raise awareness, and eliminate barriers for people who want to know how to protect themselves. Although o ur public funding is geared specifically toward services for the highest-risk populations, we also provide tests and information to lower-risk individuals. These activities are supported solely by fundraising. We regularly receive phone calls from schools, community organizations and other providers requesting basic HIV information and training and try to accommodate these requests whenever possible.
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Upcoming Men's Health Events
Gay Men and Nutrition On Saturday, October 20th Frannie Peabody Center's Prevention Office will host Gay Men and Nutrition, an educational men's health luncheon at the Sheraton in South Portland. Charlie Smigelski of Fenway Community Health in Boston will lead the luncheon discussing nutritional topics affecting men's health. Please contact our Prevention Office for more information. Substance Abuse and Depression On Tuesday, October 23rd, Dr. Mark Rolfe and Frannie Peabody Center will host a dinner at the Coastal House in Wells, discussing the affect of substance abuse and mental health issues on gay men. Please contact our Prevention Office for more information.
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