KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Today, Public Health - Seattle & King County is announcing a new 2004 contract for Gay City Health Project to offer free and anonymous HIV and STD counseling and testing that targets gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, groups disproportionately affected by HIV and STDs.

"This is a positive step forward in HIV and STD prevention and testing. Services will be provided at an accessible community site with expanded hours," said King County Executive Ron Sims.

"This new partnership is part of our continued effort to find ways to overcome the barriers to testing and prevention among men who have sex with men, at a time when we're seeing an increasing number of HIV and STD cases among this population," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County.

In King County, one in seven men who have sex with men is infected with HIV. Since 1998, new cases of syphilis have been reported in about 360 men who have sex with men locally, a rate more than 150 times higher than in heterosexuals. Among HIV-infected gay men, the rate of syphilis is around 800 times higher than in the heterosexual population. Additionally, the frequency of gonorrhea in gay and bisexual men is about 10 times higher than in the population as a whole.

Since the late 1980s, Public Health has contracted with Seattle Gay Clinic to provide HIV counseling and testing. Of all publicly-funded clinics, Seattle Gay Clinic has consistently demonstrated the highest rate of HIV case-finding (percentage of people testing for HIV who receive a new HIV infection diagnosis). Since the Seattle Gay Clinic closed recently, the new contract with Gay City Health Project will ensure the continuation of accessible, free and anonymous HIV and STD counseling and testing.

"We're committed to meeting the needs of our community and excited to continue working with Public Health to make this happen," said Gay City Health Project Executive Director Fred Swanson. "One of the prime directives during our recent community forums was to create an accessible testing location on Broadway - to reduce any potential stigma of getting tested and weave it into the fabric of everyday life. When people seek testing they are invested in their health."

Gay City Health Project will offer services through its new Wellness Center scheduled to open in February. The Wellness Center is located at 1513 Broadway (between Pike and Pine) in Seattle. This is an accessible site for community-based HIV counseling and testing that will also provide the option of rapid HIV testing, which Public Health has successfully piloted during 2003.

Testing and counseling by Gay City Health Project's Wellness Center will be available by walk-in or appointment, starting February 3. The Wellness Center will be open Tuesday through Friday, 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For appointments or more information, call 206-860-6969.

The Gay City Health Project contract for the year totals $118,928. Washington State Omnibus AIDS prevention funding provides $48,427, and $70,501 is provided by a Syphilis Elimination grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new Syphilis Elimination funding will allow Gay City Health Project to offer expanded services.

For more information on Public Health's HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, visit: www.metrokc.gov/health/apu

For more information on Gay City Health Project, visit: www.gaycity.org

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