Dallas County is taking a stand for sexual health and the prevention of STIs including HIV to help contribute to a healthier community and improve our residents’ overall quality of life. The mission starts by talking about how we can prevent and treat STIs in Dallas County.

Sure, it can be awkward talking about sexual health, but we need to talk about STIs and HIV. While we are focused on ending STIs in general, HIV is a special case because there’s no cure and it can have a life-changing impact. That’s why Dallas County is participating in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy to End the HIV Epidemic.

Did you know that you can live a healthy life with HIV? If you didn’t, that’s because we don’t talk enough about sexual health. And when we don’t talk about it, we contribute to the growing problem of misinformation and stigmatized behavior. Did you know that 1 in 8 people who have HIV don’t even know it? In fact, there were 21,065 people in Dallas County living with HIV in 2022. That’s a significant number for just one county. If you’ve never been tested, then now is the time.

We can stop new STI and HIV diagnoses by working together.
What do you need to do? Educate yourself about how to prevent STIs and HIV. Take steps to protect yourself. Get tested. Already been tested? Get your friends and family to join you. Not knowing your status or how to properly protect yourself puts you at risk and in the unknown — and that can be scary. But as a county, we can join the nationwide movement to educate people about STIs and HIV and make our best effort to eliminate new STI and HIV diagnoses by 2030. We are raising awareness of how to protect yourself, and most crucially, normalize talking, prevention, and testing for STIs and HIV. So, are you ready to do your part? Do it for yourself and your friends, family, and community. Take the next steps to help Dallas County end STIs and HIV.