NCDHHS NEWS 5/26/23 TAKE PRIDE Campaign

Posted in: Madison Park
May 26, 2023
NCDHHS has launched the Take Pride Now campaign to encourage sexual health, encourage mpox vaccinations, and reduce disease transmission. This campaign promotes safer sex practices, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs) prevention, testing and treatment. NCDHHS and its partners encourage North Carolinians, especially those at higher risk for STIs, to take three steps to help limit the spread:
  • TAKE part in safer sex practices. These can lower the risk of exposure to STIs which are spread mostly by unprotected sexual contact.
  • PRIDE yourself in prioritizing your sexual health by getting tested regularly for STIs and vaccinated against mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), if eligible.
  • NOW is the time to take the first steps. If left untreated, sexually transmitted infections can lead to more health complications.
The Take Pride Now campaign is being launched in advance of Pride month in June and at a time when the U.S. is seeing a resurgence of mpox cases in other parts of the country. As people travel to and attend Pride events, it is important to be vaccinated for mpox, if eligible, and take other steps to stay healthy before, during and after these celebrations.

Read more about people who meet the criteria for the mpox vaccine, how many have been distributed in NC, and the number of mpox cases in an NCDHHS news release. For the latest information on mpox and sexual health education efforts in North Carolina, including where to locate testing and mpox vaccines, visit ncdhhs.gov/TakePrideNow.
 
988 is the number to use when you need help and don’t know where to turn. The number where someone will always be there to talk. Call, text, or chat 988, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.  For more information about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, visit 988lifeline.org.
 
NCDHHS Employee Authors Paper to Support Children Who Face Eating Challenges
Dr. Cara McComish, a Speech Language Pathologist at the NCDHHS' Durham Children’s Developmental Services Agency, co-authored an academic paper in March 2023 to help clinicians support children with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD). According to FeedingMatters.org, one in 37 children under the age of 5 years old in the United States has a PFD. This is the life’s work of Dr. Cara McComish and it’s why she co-authored an article for the Special Interest Group (SIG) 13, Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders (Dysphagia) of the American Speech and Hearing Association Perspectives journal with Drs. Kelsey L. Thompson and Suzanne Thoyre. The peer-reviewed scientific item, “Dynamic Systems Theory (DST): A Primer for Pediatric Feeding Clinicians,” is more than an article – it’s a tutorial that was purpose-built to serve as a treatment framework for clinicians who are treating children struggling to transition to solid foods. The theory requires clinicians to support the child and family’s ability to problem solve in order to gain skills that are within their current abilities, rather than compare to other children's developmental stages. Read more about using DST to treat PFD in an NCDHHS newsletter article
 
Take Steps to Practice Water Safety and Safe Grilling This Summer
With summer just around the corner, NCDHHS encourages the use of safe swimming and grilling practices to minimize the risk of illness, injury and death. Drowning is a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4. To help prevent drowning, monitor all children around pools or other bodies of water, close and lock gates to pools when not in use, beware of strong currents, and stay out of the water if you are sick with diarrhea. When grilling, wash your hands before and after grilling, separate raw and cooked food, cook food thoroughly, store leftovers properly, and clean and sanitize before and after grilling. See more information on healthy swimming and tips for safe grilling, and read more in an NCDHHS news release
 
 
More Than 61,000 Services Delivered Through Healthy Opportunities Pilots
At the 1-Year mark of the Healthy Opportunities Pilot program (NC HOP), more than 61,000 services have been delivered to over 8,500 NC Medicaid members across 33 counties. Beginning in March 2022, the NC HOP has been described by one beneficiary as a “game changer” for thousands of North Carolina families. The program addresses non-medical drivers of health and covers the cost of 29 services, which address beneficiaries’ food, housing, transportation and interpersonal violence/toxic stress needs. On average, each Pilot member has received more than 12 services, with food services making up the majority. With housing and transportation services increasing, the number of Medicaid members receiving Pilot services continues to rise quickly and increased over 195% between January and May 2023. NC HOP services are available to qualifying NC Medicaid Managed Care Standard Plan beneficiaries who live in a Pilot region and have at least one qualifying physical or behavioral health condition and one qualifying social risk factor. To learn more about the Healthy Opportunities Pilots and how the program is benefiting Medicaid members in North Carolina, visit the Healthy Opportunities Pilots at Work website.
 
Division of Public Health Website Redesign
NCDHHS' Division of Public Health (DPH) is in the process of redesigning its current web presence. We are asking for your feedback to help us understand your priorities, your needs for the website, and concerns we should take note of as we undertake the project. Please complete a short survey to help us as we start the DPH website redesign. 
 
            
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MONDAY, MAY 22, 2023 - 00:00

NCDHHS Launches Take Pride Now Campaign to Encourage Sexual Health, Encourage Mpox Vaccinations, Reduce Disease TransmissionNCDHHS lanza la campaña Enorgullécete Ahora (Take Pride Now) para fomentar la salud sexual, animar a recibir las vacunas contra la viruela símica (Mpox) y reducir la transmisión de enfermedades

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is launching the Take Pride Now campaign to encourage sexual health. This campaign promotes safer sex practices, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs) prevention, testing and treatment.
RALEIGH

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is launching the Take Pride Now campaign to encourage sexual health. This campaign promotes safer sex practices, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs) prevention, testing and treatment. NCDHHS and its partners encourage North Carolinians, especially those at higher risk for STIs, to take three steps to help limit the spread:

  • TAKE part in safer sex practices. These can lower the risk of exposure to STIs which are spread mostly by unprotected sexual contact.
  • PRIDE yourself in prioritizing your sexual health by getting tested regularly for STIs and vaccinated against mpox (formerly known as monkeypox), if eligible.
  • NOW is the time to take the first steps. If left untreated, sexually transmitted infections can lead to more health complications.

The Take Pride Now campaign is being launched in advance of Pride month in June and at a time when the U.S. is seeing a resurgence of mpox cases in other parts of the country. As people travel to and attend Pride events, it is important to be vaccinated for mpox, if eligible, and take other steps to stay healthy before, during and after these celebrations. Mpox vaccine is available across the state for people who meet any of the following criteria:

  • Anyone who had close contact in the past two weeks with someone who has been diagnosed with mpox; or
  • Gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, or transgender individuals, who are sexually active; or
  • People who have had sexual contact with gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, or transgender individuals in the past 90 days; or
  • People living with HIV, or taking medication to prevent HIV (PrEP), or who were diagnosed with syphilis in the past 90 days.

"Take pride in your health — If you’re at risk for mpox, now is the time to get your vaccine,” said NCDHHS Secretary Kody H. Kinsley. “Mpox vaccines are safe and effective in reducing risk of transmission and severe disease.”

North Carolina has seen 708 mpox cases through the end of April 2023. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men continue to make up most of the cases, as they have since the outbreak began in 2022. Mpox cases are higher for Black and Hispanic or Latino men. However, this group only makes up 27% of the vaccinations distributed so far in North Carolina. NCDHHS is working with all levels of government and in partnership with community organizations to decrease this disparity.  Vaccination remains a crucial tool for reducing risk of transmission and disease severity.

As of April 26, 2023, 26,091 JYNNEOS vaccine doses have been administered across the state. JYNNEOS is a safe and effective mpox vaccine to reduce the risk of infection and reduce severity of disease. The vaccine requires two doses at least 28 days apart, and it takes 14 days after getting the second dose of JYNNEOS to reach maximum protection.

For the latest information on mpox and sexual health education efforts in North Carolina, including where to locate testing and mpox vaccines, visit ncdhhs.gov/TakePrideNow.

El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte está lanzando la campaña Enorgullécete Ahora (Take Pride Now) para fomentar la salud sexual. Esta campaña promueve prácticas sexuales más seguras, incluyendo la prevención, las pruebas y el tratamiento de las infecciones de transmisión sexual (its). NCDHHS y sus socios alientan a la población de Carolina del Norte, especialmente a aquellos con mayor riesgo de infecciones de transmisión sexual (its) a tomar tres medidas para ayudar a limitar la propagación:

  • PARTICIPA en prácticas sexuales más seguras. Esto puede reducir el riesgo de exposición a las its que se transmiten principalmente por contacto sexual sin protección.
  • ENORGULLÉCETE al darle prioridad a tu salud sexual haciéndote la prueba regularmente para las its y vacunándote contra la viruela símica (anteriormente conocida como viruela del mono), si es elegible.
  • AHORA es el momento de dar los primeros pasos. Si no se obtiene tratamiento, las infecciones de transmisión sexual pueden provocar más complicaciones de salud.

La campaña ENORGULLÉCETE AHORA se lanzará antes del mes del Orgullo en junio y en un momento en que los EE. UU. está viendo un resurgimiento de casos de viruela símica en otras partes del país. A medida que las personas viajan y asisten a los eventos del Orgullo, es importante vacunarse contra la viruela símica, si es elegible, y tomar otras medidas para mantenerse saludable antes, durante y después de estas celebraciones. La vacuna contra la viruela símica está disponible en todo el estado para las personas que cumplen con cualquiera de los siguientes criterios:

  • Cualquier persona que haya tenido contacto cercano en las últimas dos semanas con alguien que ha sido diagnosticado con viruela símica; o
  • Hombres homosexuales, bisexuales u otros hombres que tienen relaciones sexuales con hombres, o personas transgénero, que son sexualmente activos; o
  • Personas que han tenido contacto sexual con hombres homosexuales, bisexuales u otros hombres que tienen relaciones sexuales con hombres o personas transgénero en los últimos 90 días; o
  • Las personas que viven con el VIH, o que toman medicamentos para prevenir el VIH (PrEP), o que fueron diagnosticados con sífilis en los últimos 90 días.

“Tome orgullo de su salud — Si corre el riesgo de contraer la viruela símica (Mpox), ahora es el momento de vacunarse”, dijo el secretario de NCDHHS, Kody H. Kinsley. “Las vacunas contra la viruela símica (Mpox) son seguras y eficaces para reducir el riesgo de transmisión y de enfermedad grave”.

Carolina del Norte ha visto 708 casos de viruela símica hasta fines de abril de 2023. Los hombres homosexuales, bisexuales y otros hombres que tienen relaciones sexuales con hombres continúan representando la mayoría de los casos, como ha sido desde que comenzó el brote en 2022. Los casos de Mpox son más altos para los hombres negros e hispanos o latinos. Sin embargo, este grupo solo representa el 27% de las vacunas distribuidas hasta ahora en Carolina del Norte. NCDHHS está trabajando con todos los niveles de gobierno y en asociación con organizaciones comunitarias para disminuir esta disparidad. La vacunación sigue siendo una herramienta crucial para reducir el riesgo de transmisión y la gravedad de la enfermedad.

A partir del 26 de abril de 2023, se han administrado 26,091 dosis de la vacuna JYNNEOS en todo el estado. JYNNEOS es una vacuna contra la viruela símica que es segura y eficaz para reducir el riesgo de infección y reducir la gravedad de la enfermedad. La vacuna requiere dos dosis con un intervalo de al menos 28 días. Toma 14 días después de recibir la segunda dosis de JYNNEOS para alcanzar la máxima protección.

Para obtener la información más reciente sobre los esfuerzos de educación sobre la viruela símica y la salud sexual en Carolina del Norte, incluyendo dónde ubicar las pruebas y las vacunas contra la viruela símica, visite ncdhhs.gov/TakePrideNow.

Related Topics:

  • Monkeypox
  • Public Health
  • Public Services
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