City of West Hollywood Encourages Community to Play Safely and Confidently During WeHo Pride and June Pride Season
WeHo Pride Street Fair 2023 Health Services Directory
The City of West Hollywood encourages community members to play safely and confidently during WeHo Pride and June Pride Season. A number of healthcare agencies and providers will be on-site at the WeHo Pride Street Fair during WeHo Pride Weekend on Saturday June 3, 2023 and Sunday, June 4, 2023 on Santa Monica Boulevard in the City’s Rainbow District near N. San Vicente Boulevard. For WeHo Pride Street Fair details, visit www.wehopride.com/calendar.
Agencies will offer free vaccinations for mpox, hepatitis A, influenza, and COVID-19. Drink-spiking test strips, Fentanyl test strips, and Naloxone/Narcan will all be available, as well as HIV/STI testing and connection to treatment.
Mpox, hepatitis A, and influenza vaccinations – In collaboration with the City of West Hollywood, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) will offer free mpox (formerly known as “monkeypox”) vaccinations during the WeHo Pride Street Fair. No appointment is necessary. The LA County Public Health booth at the Street Fair will also offer free vaccinations for COVID-19, hepatitis A, and influenza.
The mpox vaccine is available to anyone who requests it and individuals do not have to disclose information about personal risk. The virus spreads primarily from prolonged skin-to-skin contact, which includes hugging, sleeping in the same bed, or sexual activity, and can also be transmitted via direct contact with scabs, rashes, or respiratory secretions from a person infected with mpox. Large gatherings can become hubs for transmission of the virus, which disproportionally affected gay men, bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in a breakout in 2022.
Although there have been relatively few cases of mpox in 2023, a recent cluster of new cases has recently been reported by the Chicago Department of Public Health. The data raises concerns among health officials about a resurgence of mpox in localized areas. LA County Public Health strongly recommends that people at higher risk for mpox get fully vaccinated with two doses of the mpox vaccine for maximum protection. Second doses can be given no matter how long it’s been since the first dose. Individuals can choose to receive the vaccine subcutaneously (in the upper arm) or intradermally (under the skin on the arm or back).
Free HIV/STI testing and treatment services – Free HIV and STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) testing and condom distribution will be provided by APAIT (Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team) at the WeHo Pride Street Fair. APAIT will also provide Fentanyl test strips and Naloxone/Narcan (see additional details, below), as well as other harm reduction materials. Additional providers, such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the Los Angeles LGBT Center WeHo, and Men’s Health Foundation will each be offering testing and connection to treatment services throughout Pride Month.
The City’s HIV Zero Initiative embraces a vision of zero new infections, zero new AIDS diagnoses, and zero stigma due to HIV status, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The City is now closer than ever to achieving these goals. Since 2016, the City has seen a 65% decrease in the number of new HIV diagnoses and a 78% decrease among gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men from ages 15 to 34 years old.
Free Fentanyl test strips and Naloxone/Narcan – Free Fentanyl test strips and Naloxone/Narcan will be available throughout the WeHo Pride Street Fair. Accidental fentanyl overdose deaths in Los Angeles County have increased 1,280% from 109 deaths in 2016 to 1,504 deaths in 2021. Fentanyl is an addictive and deadly synthetic opioid that has been found in counterfeit pharmaceuticals and illicit substances such as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy. It is especially dangerous because people are often unaware of Fentanyl contamination within the substances they are using. The potency of Fentanyl (as high as 50 to 100 times the potency of morphine) greatly increases the risk of overdose.
Accidental overdose deaths caused by Fentanyl can be prevented by fentanyl test strips and a life-saving medication called Naloxone (or by the brand name Narcan). The Fentanyl test strip is a harm reduction tool used to test substances for trace amounts of Fentanyl and it provides an indicator of how lethal the substance might be prior to consuming it. Naloxone/Narcan quickly reverses an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids and it can restore normal breathing within minutes in a person whose breath has slowed or stopped due to an overdose. The most common form of Naloxone/Narcan comes in an east-to-use nasal spray that allows bystanders to help stop a fatal overdose from occurring prior to the arrival of emergency services personnel.
Visit the #SIZZLE information booth at WeHo Pride to receive free Naloxone/Narcan from community partners. #SIZZLE is a free, sober space that will feature multiple community-based organizations serving Los Angeles County. Individuals visiting the space can learn more about free and low-cost substance use recovery services and receive free Naloxone/Narcan, Fentanyl test strips, condoms, and other harm reduction materials.
Los Angeles County Public Health Information – LA County Public Health information can be found at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/index.htm.
City of West Hollywood Social Services Division – The City of West Hollywood’s Social Services Division provides social services, health education and information to the community to improve quality of life. For more information – including a link the City’s Social Services Guide – please visit www.weho.org/socialservices.
WeHo Pride Weekend will take place on Friday, June 2, 2023; Saturday, June 3, 2023; and Sunday, June 4, 2023 in and around West Hollywood Park. For all the latest #WeHoPride information, visit www.wehopride.com and follow @wehopride on Instagram and Facebook. Receive WeHo Pride text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.
For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org.
For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.
