Hello friends!

I work at a community based clinic in Pittsburgh called Allies for Health + Wellbeing and we’re looking to expand our outreach and testing efforts for HIV & STIs!

I am part of a community health team that offers rapid testing for HIV, Hep C, & Syphilis out of a mobile testing van! If we are working at a site that allows for client access to a restroom, we can also collect samples for Gonorrhea & Chlamydia, which take about 3-5 days to process in a lab. Our mobile testing allows us to offer free and low cost testing to key groups & communities, and we can connect clients who test positive to treatment services within our clinic or provide referrals for treatment options outside our clinic.

With that said, I am looking for leads on who we can partner with or where we can go to 1) provide mobile testing services, or 2) table for general outreach efforts. Some examples of places we currently conduct mobile testing are Rainbow Kitchen, SisTers PGH, Chatham, and The Free Store. Some examples of events we’ve recently tabled are The Legends Ball, drag shows at Mr. Smalls Funhouse, and A Thanksgiving Distribution at the Convention Center. We’re looking for areas where we can provide services to more key populations of sexually active adults, such as MSM (men who have sex with men), transgender folks, Black & African men & women, Hispanic & Latino/a men & women, and young people between the ages of 13-24. People who use injection drugs are also at greater risk of new HIV diagnoses. This list is non-exhaustive, as these are just a few examples.

Finally, if you’re still reading, it’s also worth noting that we have a full service clinic where, in addition to testing services, we offer services such as primary medical care, HIV specialty care, Hep C treatment, PrEP & PEP, gynecological services, contraception, Trans* and gender-affirming care, pharmacy services, and mental health therapy. We even offer telehealth options for HIV specialty care. Basically, we have a lot to offer that people don’t know about, and we’re trying to get the word out!

Please do connect with me if you think you’d have some ideas or connections for us in the community!