Drug checking allows individuals to learn the composition of their drugs prior to use, and is being offered as a way to avert overdose while also providing low-barrier opportunities to connect people to harm reduction and other social and health services. We interviewed 11 providers in the US and Canada working in drug checking service programs about their experience operating these programs, and the challenges and promise of integrating drug checking into existing harm reduction organizations and the healthcare system. Programs were tailored to local needs and responsive to community stakeholders and successfully provided vital information on the drug supply. ... [Read More];
People who engage in sex work (PESW) are particularly vulnerable to criminalization even when seeking to report experiencing victimization. The health and safety of those engaged in sex work is further jeopardized as condoms have been historically used as evidence of sex work. California Senate Bill (SB) 233, taking effect on January 1, 2020, was meant to ensure that condoms cannot be used as probable cause for arrest nor used as evidence to prosecute a person for sex work. Nearly two years after its passage, we conducted interviews with twenty-five diverse individuals with experience engaging in sex work in Los ... [Read More];
A new study from the California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Centers finds that less than 30% of safety net providers in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program in Southern California offered smoking cessation services, and more than 50% do not offer smoking cessation services or referrals. Most providers’ (83%) websites did not list any smoking cessation information. Using a "secret shopper" study design, researchers identified and contacted 161 providers in Southern California listed in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s RWHAP Program Medical Provider Locator, distributed across 10 urban and suburban counties (i.e., Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, ... [Read More];
A new study from the California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Centers finds that less than 30% of safety net providers in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program in Southern California offered smoking cessation services, and more than 50% do not offer smoking cessation services or referrals. Most providers’ (83%) websites did not list any smoking cessation information. Using a "secret shopper" study design, researchers identified and contacted 161 providers in Southern California listed in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s RWHAP Program Medical Provider Locator, distributed across 10 urban and suburban counties (i.e., Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, ... [Read More];
In 2022, California became the first state to require healthcare plans to cover the costs of home test kits for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) including HIV. Home test kits are provided through a prescription or a standing order from a healthcare provider. However, a shortage of healthcare providers in California counties with a large population of demographic groups vulnerable to HIV/STDs, including Latino, Black/African American, and younger residents, limits the potential reach and impact of SB 306.
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