The Center on Halsted is looking to boost access to HIV and STD resources in Illinois with a new website aimed at drawing more people to its hotline.
The new website serves as a central hub where people can find information around HIV/AIDS, STIs and resources available in Illinois. It builds on the already existing HIV Hotline, which the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., has ran for more than three decades.
“Our HIV/AIDS and STD hotline is a vital resource for providing this education and support, but it is only as effective as the number of people who know about it,” Joli Robinson, Center on Halsted CEO, said in a statement. “That’s why we’re launching this campaign to boost awareness and break down the barriers that prevent people from accessing the care they need.”
The hotline can be called at 800-243-2437 or texted at 872-243-1004 and is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. It’s staffed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, and 1-5 p.m. Saturday. The hotline is closed on Sundays.
The hotline is staffed by Center on Halsted’s health educators and rapid resource responders, who can provide support and referrals to callers looking for care. Information available includes specialty care, wrap-around service providers, behavioral health support, LGBTQ+ supportive care, low–cost or free HIV and STD testing sites, and PrEP and PEP locations or help, said Jasmine Mikell, director of the Illinois HIV/STD Hotline and Resource Coordination Hub.
The hotline also gives callers a safe space free of judgment to ask questions about sexual health, Mikell said.
“I’ve had people call in and say they don’t know how to talk to their family about these questions, so they’re grateful to have the hotline,” Mikell said. “We can also help with emotional support because a lot of times anxiety plays a huge role in why people seek misinformation or choose not to know.”
Being able to provide reliable information is crucial in the state’s goal of Getting to Zero and ending the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030, Mikell said. The website also helps the hotline to reach more communities by expanding its presence online.
As of May, there were more than 41,000 people in Illinois living with HIV/AIDS, according to a report from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Of that, 31,000 of those people were in Cook County.
Center on Halsted also wants to make sure it’s reaching younger people with its hotline and resources, Mikell said.
“This will help us reach a younger crowd,” Mikell said. “In the growing age of technology, the first place people go to find information is the internet. So having this website helps by giving people a landing page for them to start their research.”
If people still have questions, they can call or text the hotline, Mikell said.