Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
ACT for Youth: Here we provide the basics on STDs.
Sexually Transmitted Infections: Adopting a Sexual Health Paradigm
National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine: This report assesses the prevention and control of STIs in the United States and provides recommendations for future public health programs, policy, and research pertaining to STIs. The authors developed a social ecological framework that emphasizes the importance of interrelated factors that lead to the spread of STIs, with the understanding that social and structural determinants of health and health inequities play a key role. The framework incorporated the concept of intersectionality, that sexual health is inextricably linked to overall health and well-being across the life span, and that human sexuality is a vital element of mutually consensual love and pleasure.
STI Treatment Guidelines, 2021: Men Who Have Sex with Men
CDC: This section of the 2021 STI Treatment Guidelines provides background on risk, statistics, and prevention strategies with a focus on MSM.
STI Treatment Guidelines, 2021: Transgender and Gender Diverse Persons
CDC: This section of the 2021 STI Treatment Guidelines briefly provides background and screening recommendations with respect to transgender men and women.
STI Prevention and Treatment (2020)
National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center: In this talk, Dr. Ken Mayer discusses the epidemiology of syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and other STIs among LGBTQIA+ populations; summarizes optimal STI screening strategies; and outlines approaches to integrating STI control in primary care. While the webinar is designed for medical professionals, it includes useful information for other professionals who work with MSM.
Webinar: STI Basics for Health Educators
ACT for Youth: In this recorded webinar, Dr. Taylor B. Starr describes epidemiological trends in the U.S. and New York State and reviews types, modes of transmission, symptoms, testing, treatment, and long-term complications of prevalent STIs.
What Are They Thinking? Social and Personal Pressures on Young People's Sexual Decisions
ACT for Youth: What do adolescents and young adults have to say about the norms, attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs that impact their risk of STIs? We reviewed interview, focus group, and survey research to find out.
Addressing Stigma: A Blueprint for Improving HIV/STD Prevention and Care Outcomes for Black and Latino Gay Men
NASTAD: This resource offers seventeen recommendations for health departments on reducing public health stigma among Black and Latino gay men/MSM. Some recommendations are also relevant for MSM-serving organizations and advocates.
2020 STD Prevention Conference
National Coalition of STD Directors: Recordings of the National Coalition Fall 2020 conference are now freely available. Dozens of presentations cover a rich variety of topics, such as reframing sexual health; racism as a public health issue; a debate on whether app-based dating increases STI risk; and the keynote "Naked and Afraid: Why We May Need to Disrobe and Expose Flawed Systems, Institutions, and People if We Are Serious about Disrupting STI Epidemics and Disparities in Sexual Health." Several sessions are specific to the care of adolescents.
Hepatitis C (HCV)
Hepatitis C
New York State Department of Health: This page provides links to information for individuals and providers as well as educational materials.
Viral Hepatitis
CDC: In this hub, the CDC provides statistics, resources, and recommendations with regard to all forms of viral hepatitis.
Hepatitis C & Injection Drug Use
CDC: This fact sheet provides essential facts about HCV and how people who inject drugs can avoid infection.
HCV & HIV Co-Infection: The Basics of Living with Two Infections
Project Inform: This publication is designed for people diagnosed with both HCV and HIV, but may also be helpful as an overview for providers. Along with summaries of HIV and HCV, topics include safer drug use, sexual transmission of HCV (which is more common with co-infection), health recommendations, and support resources.
HIV and Opportunistic Infections, Coinfections, and Conditions: HIV and Hepatitis C
National Institutes of Health: This fact sheet offers a brief, plain language overview of HIV, HCV, and coinfection.
HIV/AIDS
HIV.gov
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: This comprehensive site includes all the basics of HIV transmission, testing, and treatment, as well as prevention marketing resources, funding and learning opportunities, and more. See blog posts and other resources tagged Communities of Color, Black Gay & Bisexual Men, Gay & Bisexual Men, Transgender, and Youth.
HIV/AIDS
ACT for Youth: Here we provide a brief overview of HIV/AIDS with a focus on youth.
Ending the AIDS Epidemic in New York State
AIDS Institute, New York State Department of Health: In 2014, a task force was established to develop recommendations for ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York State. Following consultation with numerous stakeholder groups, the task force developed New York's 2015 Blueprint to End AIDS (PDF). Links to specific stakeholder recommendations are below; see also Young Adult Advisory Group recommendations (PDF). Progress toward goals can be followed on the ETE (Ending the Epidemic) Dashboard.
How Can I Prevent HIV Transmission?
The Body: This 2014 infographic defines methods of prevention before exposure (pre-exposure prophylaxis [PrEP], treatment as prevention, antiretroviral treatment, and sterile injection equipment); prevention during exposure (internal and external condoms, seropositioning, and low-risk sexual activities); and prevention after exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
Treatment as Prevention for HIV
Avert: Treatment as Prevention (TasP) refers to the fact that individuals who are tested, begin an effective antiretroviral treatment soon after diagnosis, and achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load cannot transmit the virus through sex. See also the U=U (undetectable=untransmittable) public health campaign.
MSM and Transgender Communities
See additional resources under "Black Communities."HIV among Gay and Bisexual Men
CDC: In this fact sheet, the CDC provides a statistical snapshot and briefly highlights some of the complex factors that increase HIV risk among gay and bisexual men.
Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM), HIV and AIDS
Avert: This comprehensive article outlines the biological, behavioral, social, and cultural factors that put men who have sex with men at risk of HIV transmission. The authors also discuss HIV prevention from a global perspective.
Ending the Epidemic Blueprint Recommendations for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) People
New York State AIDS Institute TGNC People Advisory Group: In response to disproportionately high rates of HIV/AIDS in TGNC communities, and minimal TGNC representation in the End the Epidemic (ETE) blueprint process, the AIDS Institute (AI) convened a group of 12-15 members of the TGNC community that was diverse in geographic location, age, gender identity, gender expression, race, and ethnicity. The purpose of the TGNC Advisory Group was to advise the AIDS Institute on specific actions it should take to address HIV disparities in TGNC communities in order to fulfill the broad recommendations outlined in the End the Epidemic Blueprint (see above).
Transgender People, HIV and AIDS
Avert: Transgender people are among the groups most affected by the HIV epidemic. This article describes why many transgender people are at high risk for HIV as well as prevention strategies and programs for this population.
Transgender People and HIV: What We Know
Also available in Spanish, this article describes the limited research available on transgender health and HIV, and briefly explains critical issues in transgender health.
People Who Inject Drugs
See additional resource above under "Hepatitis C (HCV)."People who Inject Drugs, HIV and AIDS
Avert: This article describes effective HIV prevention strategies for people who inject drugs and outlines the challenges from a global perspective.
Drug User Health
New York State Department of Health: This page connects to information on syringe access and disposal, opioid overdose prevention, buprenorphine, hepatitis C, and methamphetamine. It also identifies the Drug User Health Hubs around the state that provide preventive services within a harm reduction framework.
Ending the Epidemic Drug User Health Advisory Group
AIDS Institute, New York State Department of Health: In its recommendations to New York State, the Drug User Health Advisory Group attempts to address the needs of all people who use drugs by tailoring strategies to numerous subgroups.
Compassion, Action, and Healing: Working with Injection Drug Users in Native Communities
National Native American AIDS Prevention Center: This guide is intended to provide an overview of injection drug use, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, and harm reduction approaches, as well as generate discussion. It identifies challenges and strengths in Native communities and offers strategies for building community support.
American Indian Communities
See additional resource above under "People Who Inject Drugs."Health Disparities in HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STDs, and TB: American Indians and Alaska Natives
CDC: Here, the CDC provides statistics on rates of specific diseases among the American Indian population. This community bears an especially high burden of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HCV.
HIV/AIDS
Indian Health Service (IHS): In this section, IHS offers resources to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and prevention, including online training, a training kit and guide, media campaign resources, and much more.
Black Communities
We The People: A Black Strategy to End HIV
Black AIDS Institute: Launched on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on February 7, 2020, this strategy centers racial justice as the systemic challenge that must be addressed.
Black Trans-Led Organizations
Black AIDS Institute: This directory highlights Black and trans-led organizations that are supporting the needs of the transgender and overall LGBTQ+ community.
NYS AIDS Advisory Council End the Epidemic Subcommittee: Black MSM Advisory Group
AIDS Institute, New York State Department of Health: While it is well known that black MSM are overrepresented in new HIV cases, the nuance and complexity of black life for MSM in New York has not been adequately characterized as part of the dominant HIV prevention and care narrative. These recommended strategies for implementing the state blueprint for ending the epidemic (see above) seek to address that complexity.
Black Americans and HIV/AIDS
Kaiser Family Foundation: This fact sheet documents HIV/AIDS statistics among black Americans, including young MSM.
Highlighted CDC HIV Prevention Activities Concerning HIV and African American Gay and Bisexual Men
CDC: This page briefly describes factors contributing to HIV infections among black MSM and links to resources.
Latino Communities
Achieving Health Equity for Hispanics/Latinos in New York State
Latino Commission on AIDS: In 2014, Latinos comprised 18% of the New York State population but 32% of the people living with HIV/AIDS. This brief outlines the health disparities affecting Latinos/Hispanics in New York State, describes related social determinants of health, and offers recommendations.
Latino Commission on AIDS
The Latino Commission on AIDS is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 in response to the unmet need for HIV/AIDS, STDs, and viral hepatitis prevention and care for Latinos. On this website, the commission tracks news and connects to resources for the Latino community.