Preventing the spread of HIV in Santa Cruz County
A new report shows of the over 500 people in Santa Cruz county living with HIV, 82% receive treatment and 66% have achieved viral suppression (meaning there’s no risk of spreading the disease).
Overall sexually transmitted disease has continued to rise across California and the United States, and Santa Cruz county has followed similar trends.
Compared to numbers across the state, Santa Cruz’s HIV levels are relatively low, according to chief medical officer Dr. Tyler Evans. However, there’s still lots to be done to get people more care and stop the
spread of the sexually transmitted infection.
“A stress free non-stigmatizing way… they don’t have come into see the doctor every three months or every six months. They can send in their samples, use telemedicine, there’s a lot of different ways to support their life style,” Evans said.
Young gay males, transgender people, substance abusers and homeless are the most vulnerable population for HIV in our area. The county is working together to make it easier for those people to get the care they need.
“We’re developing a street medicine program, for the homeless mostly, but generally for the vulnerable patients,” Evans said. “From a public health standpoint, if we keep them viral suppressed or ideally
(undetectable) then from a public health standpoint the risk of transmission is significantly reduced.”
Some people feel more could be done from an educational standpoint too.
“I know we have health classes, but they don’t really touch into that subject very much,” Yaritza from Watsonville said.
The states department of health is promoting a new plan called “getting to zero”. That means zero new HIV infections, zero aids related deaths and zero stigma surrounding HIV.
“If appropriately treated it really can just be a chronic infection and it never really leads to symptomatic disease,” Evans said.
One of the most successful prevention methods is PrEP which is meant for those at high risk of getting the infection. It’s a daily pill (similar to birth control). According to Dr. Evans, if you take it every day it’s nearly 100% effective.
“Only a third of the U.S. population that is at risk for HIV is actually on PrEP,” Evans said. “In Santa Cruz we certainly have a lot of work when it comes to PrEP, but its something we’re certainly working on.”
Santa Cruz is in the process of bringing HIV stakeholders from around the county together, like medical providers and nurses, to help raise awareness and get that number as close as possible to zero.
