Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living (EOCIL) and End HIV Oregon unveiled a new advertising campaign recently to encourage people in more rural parts of Oregon to get tested for HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
The campaign will run April-July 2022 in Pendleton, Hermiston, La Grande, Ontario, and surrounding areas.
The campaign is the first of its kind in Oregon to specifically address HIV testing and prevention in rural areas. It will include newspaper, radio, digital and social media ads, as well as outdoor boards.
“There are people living with HIV throughout Eastern Oregon and rural areas, not just in urban centers,” said W. Kirt Toombs, CEO of EOCIL. “The more we talk about sexual health and HIV, the more accurate and open our conversations between providers and patients, and ourselves, will be. Through testing, use of PrEP, a daily pill that prevents HIV infection, and effective treatments for HIV, we can prevent new infections.”
National physician groups recommend that everyone be tested for HIV at least once. But most adult Oregonians have never been tested for HIV. People in more rural parts of the state are even less likely than people living in urban areas to be tested in a timely manner. Early testing allows people to get the health care they need to prevent HIV – or, if they are already infected, to get treatment, protect their partners, and live long, healthy lives. Oregon’s goal as a state is to reach zero new HIV transmissions. There are nearly 8,000 people living with HIV in Oregon.
“We all have an HIV status, and we should all be tested for HIV at least once, if not more frequently,” said Joseph Fiumara, Public Health Director for Umatilla County Public Health. “I’m thrilled to see this campaign launch here to continue building healthier communities in our part of the state.”
Oregon’s latest home-based and clinic-based HIV testing data can be found online.
EOCIL provides HIV prevention and case management services in Baker, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River (prevention services only), Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Wheeler counties. Among those counties, 222 people are living with HIV. The sooner HIV is detected, the better people can protect themselves and their sexual partner(s) from HIV transmission.
About EOCIL
Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living (EOCIL) is a global cross-disability resource and advocacy center that promotes independent living and equal access for all persons with disabilities. Based in Ontario, Oregon, with additional offices in Pendleton and The Dalles, EOCIL serves consumers in 13 central and eastern Oregon counties: Baker, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, and Wheeler.
About End HIV Oregon
End HIV Oregon is Oregon’s initiative to end new HIV infections in the state. It is a collaborative effort between the Oregon Health Authority, the statewide Integrated HIV/Viral Hepatitis/STI Planning Group (IPG) including people living with HIV and at risk of HIV infection, and a variety of public and private agencies and community groups across the state. www.endhivoregon.org
