Prevention Services and Drop-In Center Launches in Englewood Community
CHICAGO - Today, the Health, Outreach, Prevention, & Education (HOPE) department at Chicago House will premiere a new drop-in for same gender loving men of color in the South side neighborhood of Englewood.
My Brother and I (BAI for short) will offer rapid linkage to care, enabling individuals to access free HIV and STI screening and treatment, receive their lab results, and have a prescription for PrEP in hand all in one visit. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a drug that protects HIV-negative individuals against contracting HIV.
“The Southside community drop-in, in collaboration with Heartland Alliance Health, is in response to our participants’ desire for rapid access to medical, housing, and linkage services,” said Mikey Forbes, Sexual Health Program Manager at Chicago House. “The drop-in will be a place where individuals interested in services can receive care and treatment immediately and leave with prescription medication if desired. Additionally, the drop-in will provide an affirming and welcoming space for participants to socialize, play games, and come together as a community.”
In addition to rapid linkage to care, the drop-in space will also offer shower and laundry facilities, theme nights, food, and an opportunity to build community among gay and same gender loving men.
“This drop-in will uniquely address the medical and social support needs of men of color by providing immediate linkage to care and/or social support,” explained Michelle Minor, Linkage to Care Program Manager at Chicago House. “The goal is to create a space specifically for men of color by people of color that addresses sexual healthcare by listening to the participant and meeting their needs.”
As for the significance of this particular drop-in, Minor offered, “the difference with this drop-in is that it is specifically for Black and Latinx same gender loving and gay men and addresses their needs in a space that was created to address their needs. Also, our team is reflective of the community and they created this space for their community.”
The South side drop-in marks a pivotal moment for Chicago House as the organization aligns its focus with the geography of HIV in Chicago as part of the Getting to Zero campaign, which aims to achieve functional zero, or fewer than 100 new HIV cases annually in Illinois, by 2030. Many neighborhoods on the South and West sides of Chicago, including Englewood, are disproportionately impacted by HIV and STI cases compared to other areas of the city. Increasing the number of HIV-negative individuals who use PrEP is a cornerstone of Getting to Zero as it can drastically reduce the transmission of HIV.
“I don’t know how to fully express how excited we are as a department to meet the needs of the community many have served for several years,” said Minor. “To be able to give back in a more meaningful way is refreshing to us, and hopefully the community feels the same way.”
The drop-in will begin on Tuesday, March 10th at Heartland Alliance Health in Englewood (5501 S Halsted). The drop-in will run from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM every Tuesday evening.