HIV/STD Community Health Teams

The HIV/STD Community Health Teams offer a range of programs and services throughout Wake County, including HIV/STD testing and health education. We are comprised of health educators, testers, and counselors, as well as public health nurses.

We are dedicated to providing exceptional care to all individuals seeking testing and education. If your agency, community group, or faith-based organization would like to invite a trained health educator, request testing, or nursing services, please complete the Request for HIV/STD Health Education and Testing Form.

Health Education Topics

  • HIV and STD Prevention Education
  • Healthy Relationships
  • Effective Communication
  • Gender and Health
  • Decision-Making Skills
     

HIV/STD Testing includes:

  • Chlamydia
  • Gonorrhea
  • Syphilis
  • HIV
  • Hepatitis C
     

Public Health Nurse Services

  • Mpox vaccinations
  • Harm reduction strategies
  • Substance use disorder assistance
  • Resource referrals
  • Clean works
  • Wound first aid
     

HIV/STD Prevention Education Programs & Services

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Resources

STD Quick Guide

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Quick Guide Source:
https://www.cdc.gov/sti

 
STD SYMPTOMS FACTS
Chlamydia
(Curable)
  • Most people have no symptoms.
  • Women may notice:
    • Abnormal discharge from vagina;
    • Vaginal bleeding (between periods); and
    • Pain during urination and while having sex.
  • Men may notice:
    • Discharge from penis;
    • Pain during urination; and
    • Pain/swelling in testicles.
  • Most common bacterial STD.
  • Can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus and throat.
  • If left untreated it can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).
  • May be passed from mother to child during childbirth.
  • Can be cured with antibiotics, but repeat infection is possible.
  • Preventable with condoms and dental dams.
Gonorrhea
(Curable)
  • Most people have no symptoms.
  • Women may notice:
    • Pain during urination and while having sex;
    • Increased vaginal discharge; and
    • Vaginal bleeding between periods.
  • Men may notice:
    • Pain during urination and while having sex;
    • A white, yellow or green discharge from the penis; and
    • Painful or swollen testicles.
  • Can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus and throat.
  • If left untreated it can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).
  • May be passed from mother to child during childbirth.
  • Can be cured with antibiotics, but repeat infection is possible.
  • Preventable with condoms and dental dams.
Syphilis
(Curable)
  • You can get syphilis by direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal or oral sex.
  • Syphilis progresses in three stages:
    • Primary: A painless chancre sore appears where syphilis enters the body (penis, vagina, anus, rectum and mouth), and lasts 3–6 weeks.
    • Secondary: A rash appears in one or more areas of the body. The rash usually appears on the palms of the hands and bottom of the feet and looks rough and reddish brown.
    • Latent: Period where there are no visible signs or symptoms. Without treatment, syphilis will remain in the body for years.
    • Tertiary: Happens 10–30 years after infection. This stage damages your internal organs (muscle weakness, eye pain and changes to mental state) affects and may result in death.
  • Untreated syphilis can result in heart disease, brain damage, blindness and even death.
  • Can be passed from a pregnant woman to her unborn child.
  • Can be cured with penicillin, but repeat infection is possible.
  • Preventable with condoms and dental dams.
Trichomoniasis
(Curable)
  • About 70% of infected people do not have any symptoms.
  • Men with trichomoniasis may notice:
    • Itching or irritation inside the penis;
    • Burning after urination or ejaculation; and
    • Discharge from the penis.
  • Women with trichomoniasis may notice:
    • Itching, burning, redness or soreness of the genitals;
    • Discomfort with urination and sex;
    • A change in their vaginal discharge (i.e., thin discharge or increased volume) that can be clear, white, yellowish or greenish with an unusual fishy smell.
  • Some people with symptoms get them within 5 to 28 days after being infected.
  • Trichomoniasis is caused by a parasite and is the most common curable STD.
  • Infection is more common in women than in men. Older women are more likely than younger women to have been infected with trichomoniasis.
  • Trichomoniasis can cause genital inflammation that makes it easier to get infected with HIV and other STDs.
  • Can be cured with antibiotics, but repeat infection is possible.
  • Preventable with condoms and dental dams.
Herpes
(Not Curable)
  • Herpes is caused by two viruses – herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).
  • Oral Herpes: Cold sores or fever blisters on or around the mouth.
  • Genital Herpes: Sores/blisters on genitals.
  • You can get genital herpes by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has the infection.
  • You can get herpes if you have contact with:
    • A herpes sore;
    • Fluids from a partner with a herpes infection;
    • Skin in the oral area of a partner with oral herpes; or
    • Skin in the genital area of a partner with genital herpes.
  • Most people with oral herpes get it during childhood from non-sexual contact with saliva.
  • You also will not get it from touching objects, such as silverware, soap or towels.
  • No cure for the virus, but medications are available to lessen symptoms.
  • Preventable with condoms and dental dams.
  • Abstain if you are having an outbreak.
Human Papillomavirus – HPV
(Not Curable)
  • There are more than 60 strains of HPV. Some types can cause health problems, including genital warts and cancers.
  • In most cases, HPV goes away on its own within two years, but HPV does not go away.
  • May cause health problems like genital warts and cancer (cervical, throat, and cancer of the genitals).
  • Genital warts appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area.
  • They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower.
  • HPV is the most common STD in the United States.
  • Most commonly spread during unprotected sex and skin-to-skin contact.
  • A person with HPV can pass the infection to someone even when they have no signs or symptoms.
  • No cure for the virus, but medications are available to lessen symptoms.
  • Preventable with condoms and dental dams.
  • Abstain if you are having an outbreak.
  • HPV vaccines can prevent some of the health effects HPV causes.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) & Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
(Not Curable)
  • HIV weakens a person’s immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection.
  • Some people may have flu-like symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks after infection. These symptoms may last for a few days or several weeks and include:
    • Fever/chills/night sweats;
    • Rash;
    • Muscle aches/fatigue; and
    • Sore throat, ulcers, and swollen lymph nodes.
  • If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS. This is the most severe phase of HIV.
  • People living with AIDS may have such damaged immune systems that it is easy to get sick.
  • There is no effective cure for HIV, but with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled.
  • HIV can only be spread through five body fluids:
    • Blood
    • Semen and pre-semen;
    • Vaginal fluids;
    • Rectal fluids; and
    • Breastmilk.
  • To protect yourself from HIV:
    • Get tested at least once or more often if you are at risk.
    • Use condoms the right way every time you have anal or vaginal sex.
    • Don’t share needles, syringes or other drug injection equipment.
    • Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medication that prevents HIV.
    • PrEP is for anyone at risk of being infected with HIV from sex or injection drug use.
Hepatitis B
(Not Curable)
  • Hepatitis B is a virus that affects the liver.
  • Hepatitis B is spread when blood, semen, or other body fluids from a person infected with the virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. This can happen through:
    • Sexual contact;
    • Sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment; or
    • From mother to baby at birth.
  • Not all people with HBV have symptoms, but for those that do, symptoms include:
    • Fatigue, poor appetite, stomach pain, nausea and jaundice.
  • A chronic infection can lead to serious health issues like cirrhosis or liver cancer.
  • Hepatitis B is the primary cause of liver cancer, which is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the world.
  • Hepatitis B is vaccine preventable.
Hepatitis C
(Curable)
  • Hepatitis C is a virus that affects the liver.
  • Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood from an infected person.
  • For some people, Hepatitis C is a short-term illness, but for most, it becomes a long-term, chronic infection.
  • A chronic infection can lead to serious health issues like cirrhosis or liver cancer.
  • Today, many people become infected with the Hepatitis C virus by sharing needles or other equipment used to prepare and inject drugs.
  • There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, but treatments can cure most people with Hepatitis C in 8–12 weeks.

CDC resources: 

North Carolina Statistics 

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Locator 

Health Education Classes/Programs

The HIV/STD Community Program's Health Education team provides effective prevention services for a wide range of audiences. Programs and classes are free and available in English and Spanish. Focuses for these programs include, but are not limited to:

  • HIV and STD Prevention Education
  • Healthy Relationships
  • Effective Communication
  • Gender and Health
  • Decision-Making Skills 

Condom Distribution Sites (CDS)

The CDS program provides free condoms and educational materials to participating barber shops, beauty salons, tattoo parlors, laundry mats, markets and other local businesses. These community partners volunteer to display CDS materials free of charge to improve community members' access to condoms and education and testing information.

Find a current list of condom distribution sites.

For more information on how to be a CDS contact Fiona Allen, Community Health Worker

Community Initiatives

Peer Health Education Programs

Peer Health Educators are specially trained to provide appropriate sexual health information and referrals to their friends and family members. Peer educators play an important role in reducing HIV and other sexually transmitted infections because they are able to speak openly with people who may not otherwise be aware of more formal services. Free training and education materials are provided in English or Spanish by experienced HIV/STD Program staff.

  • #SafeFalcons, Peer Health Educators—St. Augustine’s University (SAU)
    • The #SafeFalcons are a group of SAU students trained to plan and implement programs on campus focused on: Sexual health, mental health, substance abuse, and healthy relationships
  • Mental and Physical Health Educators—Shaw University (SU)
    • The Mental and Physical Health Educators are a group of SU students trained to plan and implement programs on campus focused on: Sexual health, mental health, substance abuse, gambling prevention, and healthy relationships.
  • Promotores de Salud—El Centro Hispana
    • The Promotoras are community health workers and lay-health leaders who work primarily in Spanish-speaking communities to promote health education.

 

Wake County Faith Coalition

Wake County Faith Coalition

The Wake County Faith Coalition’s mission is to unify community leaders in the African American faith community to break down communication barriers and create opportunities for HIV prevention education with unconditional compassion. Through unification, education and empowerment, the Wake County Faith Coalition hopes to expand the communication about sexual health in faith communities and work to eliminate the HIV disparity associated with the Black/African American community.

The coalition works to:

  • Ensure that faith communities have accurate and relevant education regarding sexual health and HIV prevention; 
  • Promote communication between faith leaders and create partnerships to eliminate stigma; and
  • Offer support/assistance to faith communities and encourage them to become more involved in issues related to HIV.
     

Please email STD.program@wake.gov for meeting dates or additional information about the coalition.

Wake Partners HIV/STI Coalition

This task force is being formed in an effort to reduce county STD rates, amongst high-risk populations, underserved minority youth and young adults. Wake County Health and Human Services, HIV/STD Community Program has partnered both internally and externally throughout the county.

 Wake County cases of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are continuously on the rise with large increases in gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. The primary goals of the task force will be to:

  • Reduce STD rates in Wake County;
  • Increase education on STDs amongst high risk populations, underserved minority youth and young adults; and
  • Increase prevention education, screening and treatment efforts within the community.
     

Please email Nikita Spears (Nikita.Spears@wake.gov) for meeting dates or additional information about the task force.

 

Contact Us

For information about the HIV/STD/HEP C Community Program:
919-250-3883
std.program@wake.gov
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