sexually active high school students from the Bronx report not using a condom the last time they had sex.
high school students in the Bronx report having their first drink of alcohol before reaching the age of 13.
high school students in the Bronx report having injected an illegal drug.
LGBTQI+ Latino male high school students in the Bronx report binge drinking at a rate 120% higher than the national average.
The urgent need for culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate prevention and treatment services within the Bronx is irrefutable.
The latest NYC Epi Data makes it clear:
The Bronx is one of the hardest hit communities within a context of an increasingly disproportionate trend of overdose deaths and as a community facing a disproportionate burden of alcohol misuse and substance use disorders (SUDs) largely engendered by the lack of prevention and treatment resources undergirded by racial, economic, and place-based disparities rooted in historic and contemporary injustice
Preventing the spread of HIV, particularly among teens and young adults, is a public health priority.
Preventing HIV is a critical step in the response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Over time, various tools and strategies have been made available to prevent HIV, both as individual methods and in combination with others.
Stop HIV Stigma Short Videos: Nestor and Rosanne: Brother and sister duo Nestor and Rosanne share how people can help end stigma in their community.
Today, more tools than ever are available to prevent HIV. This video answers important questions about HIV prevention.
Condoms
Using condoms correctly and consistently is very successful at preventing HIV. Because HIV can be spread with a single sex act, condoms must be used correctly every single time throughout the entire duration of sex to provide maximum protection.
Testing
Testing is important for preventing HIV because it enables people to have knowledge of their HIV status and make informed decisions about their sexual behavior.
When people test positive for HIV, they can be linked to HIV treatment and care, both protecting their health and preventing the spread of the virus to people who do not have it (also known as “treatment as prevention”). Getting tested for other STIs is another important step in HIV prevention– having an STI can increase your chance of getting HIV if you are exposed to the virus.
PrEP
Not Having Sex (Abstinence)
Treatment as Prevention (TasP)
This is why HIV treatment is a prevention method: when a person living with HIV remains undetectable, there is effectively no risk of spreading HIV to people who do not have HIV. This concept is also known by the phrase “undetectable = untransmutable” or U=U.
Bronx Community Resources
Resources For Teens And Young Adults
Substance use, which includes alcohol, marijuana (weed), and opioid misuse, can have short and long term consequences for teens and young adults. These age groups are periods of intense brain development that make them more vulnerable to the toxic effects of substances. In addition to damaging parts of the body like the brain, lungs, and liver, substance use is related to unintended outcomes. Unintended outcomes may include early pregnancy, contracting STIs/ HIV, and injury. Using substances early in life also increases the likelihood of developing substance use disorders (SUDs).
This period of development also serves as an optimal period for preventing and reducing substance use! Families and communities have a role in helping teens choose not to drink or use substances. Families and communities can act as a support system for those who need help reducing their substance use or treating their substance use disorder.
Bronx Community Resources for Substance Use
Resources for Teens and Young Adults
This is the first in an educational series of seven videos detailing alcohol’s effects on the developing brain. This video serves as an overview to introduce how the brain works, what neurotransmission is, and how alcohol negatively impairs regular function and development.
How Alcohol Affects Your Developing Brain
HIV and substance use generally has a larger impact on teens and young adults, LGBTQI+ communities, and racial/ethnic minorities. These health disparities, or gaps in positive health outcomes among groups of people, are larger for those at the intersection of these communities (being a part of many of these communities). Latinx and Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men aged 13-24 are one such intersecting group.
Young Latinx and Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men are unevenly impacted by HIV diagnoses, lower HIV treatment outcomes, and often expierence substance use behavior. As racial and sexual minorities, these disparities can partly be accounted for by the stigma, homophobia, and racism that these communities face. Discriminatory experiences create various barriers to accessing HIV and substance use prevention and treatment services. These barriers can exist within the household, community, or even clinical settings. Along with highlighting the need to challenge these forms of inequality, these disparities highlight the importance of HIV and substance use prevention for this community.
For these reasons, NYCC4H is modeled to uplift the voices and strengths of young Latinx and Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men living in the Bronx, NY. We tailor our program and prioritize services to address their specific HIV and substance use prevention needs.
HIV Prevention – Let’s Talk About PEP : This animation provides basic information on Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). PEP means taking medicine to prevent HIV after a possible exposure. PEP should be used only in emergency situations and must be started within 72 hours after recent possible exposure to HIV. This animation explains what PEP is, when and if it’s right for you, how to access PEP, how it works, what to expect, and how to pay for it.
Resources for Teens & Young Adults
Choosing the right school is vital for every college bound student, but it can be more challenging for those who identify as LGBTQ+. In addition to many obstacles that all students face, it is important that LGBTQ+ students also consider whether the institution has LGBTQ-inclusive policies, programs, and practices to ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment.
Intelligent.com Higher Education Team has developed a guide that provides prospective students and their families with tools to identify the right schools, an overview of common challenges, tips for applying, and details on the federal laws that protect LGBTQ students.
Sexual Risk Behavior
Alcohol
Opoids: Tips and action steps for talking about opioids
Keeping Your Kids Safe Brochures
The “Talk. They Hear You.” campaign also developed resources that provide parents with tips and action steps for talking about opioids with their children and teens. These brochures provide age appropriate information and guidance that is important to preventing opioid misuse.
Supporting LQBTQ + Youth
Family Acceptance Project
Parents’ Influence on the Health of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual
Teens: What Parents and Families Should Know
Parental and familial acceptance is central to the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ children, teens, and young adults. Support and acceptance from parents and families helps protect youth from health risks, including substance use and STDs. Lack of acceptance and rejecting behavior contributes to these significant health risks, promoting the uneven impact health disparities have on LGBTQ+ youth. In addition, rejecting behavior contributes to the stigma and discrimination LGBTQ+ youth may already experience outside the home.
Online PrEP Guide
A User’s Guide to PrEP
Online PEP Guide
A User’s Guide to PEP
Online PEP Locator
Emergency PEP in New York City
Opioid Use Treatment Telehealth
NYC Telemedicine for Opioid Use Disorder
Mental Health Telehealth
Mental Health Telehealth Contacts for COVID-19
9 AM – 5 PM
info@nycc4h.org
(347) 467 – 0505
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