Think you may have contracted a bacterial STD recently? Soon, you'll be able to scoot on down to South Los Angeles and pick up a home testing kit to find out for sure. According to CBS News, L.A. county health officials are setting up about eight kiosks in the area that will offer the take-home tests at a lower charge than what a person might pay at a clinic. The effort is intended to combat the fact that our county has the highest rates of chlamydia infections in the country, and the second highest rates of gonorrhea infections. more ›

Adult film performers can exhale this Friday knowing that their professional tools are free of disease. A San Fernando Valley porn trade group plans to revive a controversial database that does the dirty job of tracking adult performers' sexually transmitted disease (STD) test results, according to LA Daily News. more ›

A superhero strain of the sexually transmitted infection, gonorrhea, has been discovered in Japan. Seemingly resistant to all recommended antibiotics, officials say the new strain, H041, could "transform a once easily treatable infection into a global public health threat," according to KTLA. more ›

The 26th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles is this Sunday, meaning thousands of people will be taking to the streets to fundraise and bring awareness to the disease. It also means some streets will be closed during the morning. more ›

News of an actor who has tested positive for HIV has put the spotlight on a heated debate between the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the adult entertainment industry. Although a quarantine has gone into effect and four production companies have voluntarily shut down for the time being, the nonprofit says it's not enough. more ›

An unidentified performer who has tested positive for HIV has sent waves through the adult entertainment industry, prompting a quarantine and a number of companies to halt production. So far, four have taken action: Vivid Entertainment, Wicked Pictures, Hustler Video and Digital Playground, according to the LA Times. more ›

If you use Foursquare, you might enjoy the silly fun of trying to earn a new "merit" badge for your collection. One way to land a new badge is to find out if you have an STD. Seriously. Through the "It's Your (Sex) Life" campaign run via MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation, there's a Foursquare badge you can pick up while getting tested, explains CNN's health blog The Chart. more ›

No matter how much you bare and share while performing in an adult film, you are still entitled to you doctor-patient privilege. more ›

There 3,100 new HIV infections annually in Los Angeles County. Even worse, 70% of those new cases are spread by those who have HIV and do not even know it (that's about out of every five person who is HIV + ). And with Latinos making up the largest number of residents living with the STD, a number of health agencies are hosting Test Fest tomorrow in East L.A. They're calling it the largest HIV counseling and testing event in Southern California. more ›

It's already against the law expose workers directly to bodily fluids, but it's rarely enforced on porn sets where no condoms are used. Now the L.A.-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation has garnered attention via a petition filed with the state to further change the law to require condoms use on adult films, according to the LA Times. more ›

When it comes to condom use in the local porn business, Los Angeles County officials are opting to keep their hands to themselves. more ›

White House leaders are coming to Los Angeles on Sunday to continue his tour for his National HIV/AIDS Community Discussion. "These Discussions, hosted by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), offer the public a chance to provide input as the White House works to fulfill the President’s pledge to develop a National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS)," explains a White House press release. more ›

A state legislator is suing the Governor over budget cuts and so is everyone else, it seems. Today, you can add AIDS Project Los Angeles to the list. They contend that Schwarzenegger went beyond his authority by cutting $85 million from HIV/AIDS programs. Citing the state's Legislative Counsel Bureau, the APLA says Schwarzenegger was only allowed to make budget cuts to original budget appropriations, not to a bill passed last February. “In exceeding his power, the governor has singlehandedly dismantled a critical array of programs that protect the health of all Californians -- programs that ultimately save the state from far more catastrophic spending,” APLA Director Craig E. Thompson said. “The effects will be nothing short of devastating.” Los Angeles County has the second largest AIDS epidemic in the country and 7,000 people statewide are estimated to become HIV positive. A rally will be held at Pershing Square in downtown tonight at 7 p.m. followed by a short march to the Reagan State Office Building on Spring Street. 2,000 demonstrators are expected. more ›

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's line item cuts to the state budget on Tuesday drastically reduced many programs, including state parks and domestic violence funding. AIDS/HIV programs were also hit particularly bad to the tune of around $85 million, leaving the California’s Office of AIDS with only 20 percent of its funding for programs like HIV education and prevention, HIV counseling and testing, home health and early intervention. more ›

The porn industry's self regulation, albeit a good step, but never to the satisfaction of health officials, has been for the most part under the radar until cases like the one happening this week. Yesterday morning it was reported that one case of HIV was within the industry. Then in the afternoon, reports surfaced that there has been at least 16 since 2004, when the last reported group of performers tested positive for HIV. more ›

Adult Industry Medical Healthcare in Sherman Oaks. "The actress was involved in a small amount of films in a short period of time," said AIM administrator Brooke Hunter. "She still is in counseling." Her working partners have tested negative so far, but are under two 14-day quarantines getting tested again. "All required reporting has been complied with, as have the AIM and industry protocols," AIM said in a statement. "The investigation is ongoing. This is not a major event." more ›

LA City Beat has a great article today about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which can be 81 percent effective against the HIV virus after exposure. Problem is, while it's widely available for healthcare workers who accidently are exposed to blood and gay rape victims, it's pretty hard to find otherwise. PEP is actually a 30-day mix of pills that doctors fear would do much more harm to the spread of the virus than stopping it because those with PEP prescriptions might be encouraged to have less safe sex. “There’s a stigma when it comes to gay men,” Anthony Gutierrez of the LA Gay & Lesbian Center said. The Los Angeles Free Clinic didn't want to comment on the drug and another clinic only spoke to the weekly if they could remain anonymous. more ›

Ladies and gents, we're glad to hear you're taking our advice and getting your naughty bits checked out, but as a result, there are more cases of STDs like chalmydia being reported nationally. Because screening for women has become better, they are reporting three times as many cases as men. more ›

More than 30,000 walkers and volunteers hit the streets yesterday morning to raise more than $3.1 million for AIDS Project Los Angeles, who said the numbers "set attendance records and defied fundraising expectations in the midst of a troubled economy." Since 1985, the organization has raised more than $63 million for HIV programs and services throughout the county. Here's a little of what was seen yesterday, including some odd GOP protesting by Melrose Larry Green: more ›

Los Angeles might be a city that lauds youth, but today is a day to celebrate our seniors! 10.2% of the population of L.A. is age 65 and over, and according to a recent study, they, and their peers nationwide, are having more - and better! - sex than previous generations. Go Grandma! more ›

2,000 residents of L.A. County are expected to take advantage of free HIV testing services as part of HIV Counseling and Testing Week. "Of the more than 53,000 AIDS cases were reported in Los Angeles County as of December 2007, nearly 31,000 of the patients have died, according to the county Department of Public Health's Office of AIDS Programs and Policy," says cbs2.com. The report states that AIDS cases in the county remain clustered around the Hollywood/West Hollywood and Long Beach areas and the rate of increase in reported AIDS cases is rising most quickly among minorities. For more information on Testing Week, check out HIVLA.org's PDF sheet. more ›

CBS says it is one parent distorting the picture of Kid Nation, a reality show about 40 kids, 40 days and no adults that premieres on September 19th. But news outlets are on the attack with Lisa de Moraes of The TV Column at The Washington Post rounding up the media coverage: The news reports on "Kid Nation" to date are the stuff PR-nightmare legends are made of: charges of thwarting child-labor laws; parents... more ›

Did you know that you don't need health insurance to get tested for AIDS and STDs in LA County? The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health Sexually Transmitted Disease Program is complimentary to its residents. So don't wait. Go and use it. We are not AIDS experts here, but we believe in a simple idea. If everyone would get tested at least once a year, the spread of AIDS and STDs would... more ›