City of St. Louis Department of Health Launches HealthStopSTL.com

By Red Latina

HealthStopSTL.com is a new way to access sexual health information, resources, and testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI).

The City of St. Louis Department of Health is launching a new way to access sexual health information, resources, and testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the St. Louis region. HealthStopSTL. com [healthstopstl.com] connects residents and visitors to the Department of Health’s Communicable Disease - HIV Prevention program, which works to halt the transmission of HIV/STIs and link those living with HIV to care.

HealthStopSTL.com’s mission is to provide a one-stop resource to schedule no-cost confidential HIV and STD testing at the Health Stop Testing and Referral Center, request free at-home testing kits, find nocost condoms, and learn how to receive PrEP, a medication to reduce the risk of HIV transmission

“We want to empower city residents and visitors with the tools necessary to protect themselves and their partners from sexuallytransmitted infections,” says Victoria Anwuri, Commissioner of Health for the City of St. Louis. “By providing resources at our Health Stop center at 1520 Market and online through HealthStopSTL.com, we remove barriers and increase access to sexual health resources.”

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an important annual event that is recognized on February 7th. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing need to raise awareness about the disproportionate impact of HIV on Black/African American communities in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black/African Americans account for a higher proportion of new HIV diagnoses and people living with HIV compared to other racial and ethnic groups.

The Department of Health’s recognition of National Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day underscores its commitment to addressing health disparities and promoting health equity in the St. Louis region. The department’s efforts to remove structural barriers to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment are critical to reducing HIV-related health disparities and improving health outcomes for all residents.

Through HealthStopSTL.com, the department is providing residents and visitors with a comprehensive, one-stop resource for sexual health information, resources, and testing. By empowering individuals with the knowledge and tools necessary to protect themselves and their partners from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, the department is taking a critical step toward addressing health disparities and improving overall health outcomes.

The department’s HIV Prevention program is also rebranding its social media to connect with the new website and strengthen its reach throughout the St. Louis community. The HIV Prevention Twitter account [twitter. com] shares information on ways to protect one’s health, events from the department and its partners, and how to support friends and family impacted by HIV and STIs.

Health Stop will hold special hours today and tomorrow as it celebrates the launch of HealthStopSTL.com and National Black HIV AIDS Awareness Day. Staff will be in the lobby of 1520 Market Street today from 1-3pm and tomorrow from 9am-12pm and 1-3pm, providing giveaways and no-cost testing. The center’s regular hours are Monday-Thursday, 9am-1pm.