Montgomery County is working to end the HIV epidemic by 2030 and will discuss its plans during a virtual town hall on Dec. 1 which is World AIDS Day.
The county was named a priority jurisdiction for the federal Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative and plans to reduce new HIV transmissions by 90% by 2030.
To achieve this goal, the county will increase testing in healthcare and community-based settings so that more residents know their HIV status and ensure everyone living with HIV in the county is connected to a healthcare and other services to stay healthy and prevent transmission of the disease. The county also intends to increase access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis HIV prevention and medication and education tools and fine-tune its ability to respond to outbreaks.
County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles will speak during the Dec. 1 virtual town hall, which is hosted by Montgomery County Health and Human Services (DHHS), Public Health Services. Panelists include Melvin Cauthen, DHHS administrator for HIV/STI services; Connor Hegel, LGBTQ services navigator for Sexual Minority Youth Assistance Leagues (SMYAL), a D.C. based organization; and Ronald Johnson, LGBTQ Democrats of Montgomery County.
The town hall will be held from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 1. Register here.
Residents are encouraged to get tested and seek treatment if they are HIV positive. Free and low-cost HIV testing, treatment or prevention services is available to county residents.
Call the HIV-STI program at 240-777-1869 for information.
