in WeHo
• Center WeHo is located at 8745 Santa Monica Blvd., 2nd Floor, in West Hollywood.
Center WeHo Marks Five Years of Critical Care and Support
VANGUARD | FALL / WINTER 2020
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pening in October 2015, Center WeHo dramatically expanded the Center’s critical services to those who work, play, and live in West Hollywood. In its first five years, Center WeHo provided nearly 40,000 HIV tests, treated more than 9,000 clients for a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and conducted more than 3,800 consultations for PrEP. These numbers are triple the rate of which The Spot (the Center’s previous and much smaller clinic in West Hollywood) had been able to provide. “The rates of testing shot through the roof almost immediately after we opened,” says Center CEO Lorri L. Jean. “It’s been very accessible to people, and I think it’s one of the reasons that we’ve been
As part of that critical work, Center able to make such a dent into the rate of HIV infections in our community here in WeHo provides a welcoming sex-positive environment where people can feel Los Angeles.” The Center has long been one of the comfortable talking to providers and largest HIV testing sites in Los Angeles counselors about their risk factors and County. For years, approximately 4 percent symptoms as well as their interest in of clients who came in tested positive— taking PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) a significantly higher rate compared to the and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, national average positivity rate of less than Center WeHo was seeing up to 100 people one percentage point. “Our rates were high which showed me on its busiest days. Walk-in appointments that we were getting at the right popu- were a unique part of the Center WeHo lation,” Jean explains. “Thanks to PrEP experience. “We almost immediately outgrew the and our really concerted testing efforts, we are now down to about one percent space,” says Jeffrey Rodriguez, who was and a little under. We’re seeing the results program manager for several years before in our testing, and Center WeHo has been being promoted to associate director of the Center’s Community Health Programs a big part of that.”
