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AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Launch Partner Notification System: Www.inSPOTLA.Org

Posted on: Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 12:00 CST

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the nation's largest AIDS organization, and Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) will host a press conference today, Wednesday, December 14, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. at Los Angeles County Department of Health Services' headquarters (313 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles 90012 -- cross street: Temple Street) to unveil http://www.inspotla.org/, a new, innovative STD/HIV partner notification tool that enable users to notify recipients of possible STD or HIV exposure by sending an electronic postcard or 'e-card,' either anonymously or with a personal note. 'InSPOTLA' is a powerful tool with the potential to increase partner notification for HIV and other STDs and, ultimately, lead to a significant decrease in disease incidence in Los Angeles County.

Aimed at increasing early STD and HIV diagnosis and treatment, and, thus, reducing transmission, 'inSPOTLA,' developed by I.S.I.S. Inc. and designed by Primatial, is based on a successful program launched in San Francisco in October 2004. Since then, usage data has shown an average of 750 people visiting the Bay Area site every day with 500 e-cards sent per month; 51% of those people receiving cards click through for more information about testing and treatment. The response in L.A. County is expected to be even greater, given the fact that the population is thirteen times that of San Francisco. With the launch of 'inSPOTLA,' L.A. County becomes the first jurisdiction to add HIV to the menu of STDs on an e-card partner notification system.

"This website will be a powerful tool in reducing the spread of STDs, including HIV, in L.A. County," said Jonathan Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. "By giving people an easy way to notify their sex partners, 'inSPOTLA' will enable more people to get tested and treated early for HIV and other STDs, preventing complications and helping stop the chain of infection."

"We are pleased to partner with the Department of Health Service to launch this fast, free and flexible partner notification system in L.A. County," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation in a statement. "If all persons diagnosed with HIV or other STDs notified partners, we would see an enormous decline in disease incidence. We see this as another component in the continuum of innovative prevention, testing and outreach programs that LA County, along with their community partners, have produced."

The magnitude of new STD and HIV infections in L.A. County highlights the need for a new, innovative, non-traditional partner notification system like 'inSPOTLA.' According to L.A. County DHS, in 2003 Los Angeles County experienced 36,900 new cases of chlamydia; 8,078 new gonorrhea cases; 830 new early syphilis cases (of which 69% were Men who have Sex with Men or MSM); and 2,446 new AIDS cases. There are an estimated 50,000-60,000 individuals in L.A. County living with HIV or AIDS, of whom an estimated 1/4 do not know that they are HIV-positive.

"The 'inSPOTLA' site seeks to complement existing partner notification services, like AHF's partner disclosure assistance program, and the partner counseling and referral service of DHS," said Karen Mall, AHF Director of Prevention and Testing. "Not only does the site empower people, particularly gay and bisexual men, to take the important step of notifying partners of possible HIV/STD exposure, it also includes other useful features, including tips for telling partners, STD/HIV fact sheets and FAQs, and an 'Ask the Doc' e-mail feature, as well as links to more than 60 HIV/STD testing sites in Los Angeles County."

AHF and the LA County Department of Health Services are also collaborating on another unusual and effective STD prevention campaign. The 'Stop the Sores' social marketing campaign is an innovative syphilis prevention campaign running in greater Los Angeles in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services STD Program, AHF and several other Southern California AIDS service organizations. In two survey evaluations, men who were exposed to the 'Stop the Sores' campaign were significantly more likely to have tested for syphilis in the past 6 months than those who had not seen the campaign.

Earlier this month AHF and the Los Angeles County Office of AIDS Programs and Policies (OAPP) also unveiled "HIV -- Not Fabulous," a frank new social marketing campaign on HIV prevention that urges HIV negative gay men throughout Los Angeles to "Stay Negative." The CDC-funded, three-year advertising campaign uses real people living with HIV/AIDS, and through simple and powerful photographs, highlights certain physical ailments, like diarrhea and wasting syndrome, that are a day-to-day reality for many living with the disease.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) currently provides more than 15,000 free HIV tests each year through its innovative testing program via testing sites at 3 AHF Out of the Closet thrift store locations throughout Southern California. In addition, AHF offers testing in the L.A. County Jail System, in bathhouses and sex clubs (commercial sex venues) in greater Los Angeles, and on a mobile testing van.

L.A. County DHS Public Health is committed to protecting and improving the health of the nearly 10 million residents of Los Angeles County. Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control and community and family health. Public Health comprises more than 3,800 employees and has an annual budget exceeding $600 million.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation

CONTACT: Lori Yeghiayan, Communications Specialist of AIDS HealthcareFoundation, +1-323-860-5227, or cell, +1-323-377-4312; or DHS Communications,+1-213-240-8144, for AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Web site: http://www.inspotla.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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