Over the past weeks Columbia CARES has been overwhelmed by the tremendous support of our community, both financial and through your words of encouragement. Thank you doesn't seem like enough but please know that each of you have our heartfelt gratitude. PrEP Navigation at Columbia CARESEarlier this year Columbia CARES began an exciting venture - PrEP navigation. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is when people take daily medicine to prevent HIV. PrEP is for men and women and prevents HIV infection especially transmission through sex. Studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%. We can help you get PrEP at little or no cost. Click the PrEP logo or visit www.ccprepnow.org to learn more and how to contact a Columbia CARES PrEP Navigator. Things You Should Know about HIV1. PrEP works! Taking PrEP daily can prevent HIV infection through sex. 2. HIV can be detected within weeks. 3. Finding out soon after infection can dramatically increase the success of HIV medication. Get tested at least yearly. 4. U=U Undetectable=Untransmittable Someone who has HIV and has an undetectable HIV viral load can reduce the transmission of HIV by almost 100%. 5. Not every HIV exposure leads to an infection but repeat exposure increases the risk of transmission. 6. People with HIV can have a near-normal life expectancy. When AIDS is over. What a powerful notion. For many of us, the idea that AIDS will end is hard to imagine. But the end of AIDS is worth thinking about. It's important to see ourselves as happy, healthy, productive, and free from the constant concern about AIDS. Our lives will never be restored to how they were before AIDS. Society has changed. Medicine and healing has changed. We have become a more empowered community...because all of us...have been touched by AIDS. We don't have to wait until the end of AIDS. Right now we can visualize our lives...free from the constant concern of AIDS. LN, person with AIDS. Taken from The Color of Light. Are you like a lot of people and have a crazy-busy schedule? Do you need an HIV test but don't have time during the day? Columbia CARES can help. We can mail you a FREE At Home Oral HIV Test Kit, just like the one we use at CARES. You're not alone, we will be available to answer questions and explain how to do the test if you need help. If you live in one of the 12 South Central Counties of Middle Tennessee, just give us a call. 800.961.5332 x 12. COVID-19 Update at CARESAs communities begin to reopen we at CARES want to be sure the people we serve and our staff are safe. Therefore, during the month of June we will begin to resume services gradually. First, we will bring back onsite HIV and HCV testing on June 15th. We still are discouraging walk-ins and won't routinely see clients onsite until July. However, case managers will continue to be available remotely to serve clients. If you are needing any of our services, we suggest you contact Columbia CARES so that we may best serve you. Click the logo to visit our website and contact information. |