HIV stigma is negative attitudes and beliefs about people with HIV. When people with HIV are supported, it is easier to lead a healthy life.
The Words Matter HIV Toolkit is a blueprint for facilitating what can be uncomfortable and, at times, difficult but life-saving conversations.
Ending the HIV Epidemic in Missouri
Missouri is one of seven states awarded Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) funding to reduce new HIV infections by 90% by 2030. Efforts used to disrupt the newly diagnosed rate of 500 per year align with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy’s four pillars: early diagnosis, prevent, treat and respond. Learn more about Ending the HIV Epidemic in Missouri and provide feedback on the current state plan by visiting the EHE webpage.
Resources
Discussing Sexual Health with Your Patients - Sexual health is an essential element of overall health and well-being. This web page provides support for medical personnel to discuss this aspect of health with patients.
HIV Nexus Clinician Resources is a one-stop location for information across the HIV continuum, including up-to-date tools and guidelines for your practice and education materials for your patients.
HIV Testing – HIV screening is recommended for all adolescents and adults 13-64 years of age. Testing can reduce HIV transmissions and early diagnosis can improve medical outcomes. Also view the HIV Guidelines.
Preventing HIV – More tools are available for patients to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV. Access risk-reduction tools and resources, including information about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) from the CDC's Clinical Guidelines for PrEP.
Learn more about PrEP (PreExposure Prophylaxis)
HIV Treatment as Prevention – Routine care and treatment are the best ways to keep people with HIV (PWH) healthy. PWH who take medication as prescribed can achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load (or viral suppression), resulting in effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to their sexual partners.
STI Treatment Guidelines – The CDC’s Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Treatment Guidelines provides evidence-based prevention, diagnostic and treatment recommendations. The recommendations are intended to be a source for clinical advice. Healthcare providers should constantly assess patients based on their clinical circumstances and local burden.
Know the Facts: STIs affect people of all ages, yet these diseases take a particularly heavy toll on young people. Learn more about the state of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Missouri.
Healthcare Provider Technical Assistance and Training
State and Regional Partners:
St. Louis STI/HIV Prevention Training Center (STLPTC) is part of the Washington University School of Medicine. STLPTC, in conjunction with the St. Louis County Department of Public Health and other training partners, has nationally recognized faculty provide healthcare professionals with the latest research and clinical information in the field of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Midwest AIDS Training + Education Center (MATEC) trains community-based practicing primary care physician champions to lead healthcare transformation and enhance teaching in community-based settings throughout the Midwest.
Show-Me ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) uses videoconferencing to connect interdisciplinary teams of experts with primary care providers and other professionals. They collaborate in interactive case-based learning to develop advanced skills and best practices, which improves patient care access, quality and efficiency. Show-Me ECHO operates an HIV and hepatitis C clinic for free continuing education.
National Partners:
STI Prevention Courses – STI clinical management courses, behavioral intervention courses, courses for STI program staff and more.
National STD Curriculum offers a self-study STD Lessons for Clinicians includes seven web-based educational activities, each focusing on a specific STD topic. Each lesson is considered to be an individual course. Free CME credit and CNE/CE contact hours are available for each self-study module.
CDC Learning Connection helps public health and healthcare professionals stay informed about quality training from the CDC, other federal agencies and federally funded partners.
Reporting
Communicable Disease Surveillance is a multi-component system that monitors and analyzes data that includes – but is not limited to – demographic, geographic and disease/condition-specific information. Accurate identification and timely reporting are integral parts of successful disease control. A communicable disease can be reported by using the disease care report form, CD-1.