➥ HIV Low Health Literacy Guide

This guide is for health care providers, medical case managers, direct service staff, and administrators. It has been created to build understanding, agency, and collaboration with clients/patients. This guide is designed to optimize engagement and increase the success of a client/patient’s self-management.

This guide teaches how to accommodate individuals with low literacy (such as English as a second language, low vision/hearing ability, color blindness, and/or cognition-based disabilities) that affect their auditory or reading comprehension skills.

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Philadelphia Department of Public Health

Division of HIV Health (2022)

HIV Health Literacy Guide for Providers

Philadelphia, PA

Evan Thornburg

➥ Monkeypox (MPV) Resources

MPV Data

Click here to check out the statistics for Philadelphia MPV cases broken down by gender, age, and race. It also displays new cases per week and total case count. As of 11/09/2022 there are 544 reported cases in total.

HIV & MPV

From the CDC's FAQ for MPV & HIV:

Currently, the CDC reports that "Current data suggest that about 40% of people diagnosed with monkeypox in the United States had HIV. However, CDC doesn’t know if having HIV increases the likelihood of monkeypox virus infection once exposed." As of right now, there is limited data, but such data suggests that "people with HIV, particularly people with low CD4 counts (<350 cells/ml) or who are not virally suppressed, are more likely to be hospitalized than people without HIV."

People with HIV should follow the same recommendations as everyone else to protect themselves from monkeypox.

  • Avoid direct contact with rashes or scabs on a person with monkeypox, including during intimate contact such as sex. We believe this is currently the most common way that monkeypox spreads in the United States.
  • Avoid contact with objects, fabrics (clothing, bedding, or towels), and surfaces that someone with monkeypox has used.
  • Avoid contact with respiratory secretions, through kissing and other face-to-face contact from a person with monkeypox.

What is Intradermal Vaccination? Why are we doing it this way?

Because of shortage in vaccination supply, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the JYNNEOS vaccine to allow healthcare providers to use the vaccine by intradermal injection for individuals. Previously, the vaccinations were given deeper into the arm, but the intradermal (into the layers of the skin instead of the fat) allows for a lower dose. Five people can get vaccinated instead of just one per vial.

You can read more about the intradermal MPV vaccine, here, on phila.gov, but based on current information, here's what you should know:

  • Scientific review from the FDA and CDC determines that it is safe and effective to give a lower dose of the JYNNEOS vaccine intradermally
  • The JYNNEOS was studied in 2015 and showed groups that received the subcutaneous (into the fat) and intradermal (into the skin) produced similar immune responses
  • Intradermal vaccinations have been distributed in the past during other vaccine shortages (e.g. for rabies and Hepatitis B)
  • Intradermal is NOT for everyone and "[c]hildren under the age of 18 cannot get vaccinated this way. People who are prone to keloid scarring should not receive vaccine intradermally and can get vaccine subcutaneously instead. Talk to your healthcare provider to see what will be best for you."

Learn More About the Vaccine & See if You're Eligible

Click here to register for the Monkeypox Vaccine through the City of Philadelphia.

Due to the current low supply of vaccines, there are eligibility requirements. Below are the current eligibility requirements for the vaccine according to the City of Philadelphia:

  • Gay, bisexual, transgender, other men who have sex with men, or non-binary persons

If they meet one of the following criteria:

  • Have had multiple or anonymous sex partners in the past 14 days
  • Have had any newly diagnosed STI in the past 12 months, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, early syphilis, or HIV.
  • Have recently attended or plan to attend any venue where anonymous sex or sex with multiple partners will occur (e.g. saunas, bathhouse, sex clubs, sex parties) .
  • Have met recent partners or plan to meet new partners through social media platforms (such as Grindr, Tinder or Scruff), or at clubs, raves, sex parties, saunas).

In addition to those who are eligible based on the criteria above, the following people are also eligible:

  • Sexual partners (of any sex or gender) of people who meet the above criteria
  • Sex workers (of any sex or gender), and/or
  • Anyone with known close contact (skin-to-skin) with someone with monkeypox in the past 14 days

➥ COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 Vaccine & Information

  • Click here to be redirected to the CDC website to learn more about why you should consider staying up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

  • Click here to find out where you can get your COVID-19 vaccine and booster. It's easy! Just type in your zip code and find a location near you.

HIV and COVID-19 from TheBody

➥ Digital Divide Resource

  • Above, you can find an interactive PDF with resources to help close the digital divide (programs that offer tech, affordable internet access, technological literacy programs, etc.).

➥ Positive Committee Brochures

The Positive Committee created these brochures for people living with HIV/AIDS in the Philadelphia EMA. The content is the same in all version of the brochure, although three of them have different cover images. There is also a Spanish version.

➥ CDC Resources for People Living with HIV

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has many resources for people living with HIV. To learn more about HIV treatment, traveling with HIV, disclosure, mental health, and more, visit the CDC's page on living with HIV.
  • Click this link to be directed to the HIV National Strategic Plan (PDF). This plan is a roadmap for ending the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030. The HIV Plan is the nation’s third consecutive five-year national HIV strategy and covers 2021-2025, with a 10-year goal of reducing new HIV infections by 90% by 2030.

➥ Philadelphia Community Health Explorer

This tool displays data from Philadelphia's Community Health Assessment. The tool includes information about health behaviors, health conditions, health care factors, and determinants of health.

To learn more about public health measures in Philadelphia, visit the Community Health Explorer.

➥ City of Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services

The Office of Homeless Services (formerly the Office of Supportive Housing) has a central intake system for people in Philadelphia who need emergency housing.

To find a place to stay, visit the Office of Homeless Services's website.

➥ Affordable Housing Units in Philadelphia

This is a Philadelphia-specific list of affordable rental units, updated in 2019. This list was provided by the PA Housing Finance Agency.

➥ PrEP Watch

PrEP Watch is a clearinghouse for PrEP data, research, cost, access, implementation and advocacy efforts across the globe.

To learn more, visit the PrEP Watch website.

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