June is Pride Month, and Metro Health is raising awareness about the importance of knowing your health status while following safe practices to avoid the contraction of any sexually transmitted infections.
To celebrate Pride Month, Metro Health will host an event featuring special performances and a panel discussion about the importance of staying up to date with vaccinations, knowing your health status, information on diabetes workshops and a public health approach to violence prevention.
The event will be held Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Heat on 1500 N. Main Ave.
According to Metro Health officials, one in five individuals in the U.S. have a sexually transmitted infection, and many don’t have symptoms.
There are services offered that allow the community to get tested and know their status. Metro Health offers their STI and HIV Prevention and Control Program that provides evaluation and diagnosis of STI infections, as well as treatment and counseling for most STIs.
The STI/HIV program at Metro Health also offers a mobile unit that functions as an extension of the health clinic. The unit has the ability to travel throughout San Antonio to provide testing and treatment for most STIs. You can find a calendar here that includes a list of the mobile clinic locations.
In addition to Pride, June is also Men’s Health Awareness Month.
Metro Health officials say this month is about encouraging the men in your life to take care of their bodies by eating right, exercising and working to prevent chronic diseases.
The key thing to understand is that this is not a genetics problem, rather, a socialization problem that’s based on the cultures these men come from. Men typically have more shame in getting screenings and have less knowledge about the benefits, officials said.
Education and support are the biggest challenges when someone is striving to make a lifestyle change, especially treating a chronic disease.
With a comprehensive community approach, and through its SA Forward Plan, Metro Health is continuing to expand its peer-led workshops to address food insecurity, nutrition and diabetes in Bexar County.
To learn more about STI/HIV services, visit Metro Health’s website.