Men's Wellness Center launched at AHF Blair Underwood Healthcare Center’

Nov 7 2009

On Thursday, November 5^th, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, which provides medical care and/or services to more than 120,000 individuals in 22 countries worldwide, opened a Men's Wellness Center at the new ‘AHF Blair Underwood Healthcare Center’ located in Washington D.C.

The new center will provide, at no cost to clients, confidential and comprehensive sexual health services for men—including HIV and STD (sexually-transmitted disease) testing and treatment, all in one convenient location. This walk-in clinic is based on a successful model of service pioneered by AHF at its Hollywood Healthcare Center in Los Angeles, and currently used throughout California and Florida. The Men's Wellness Center at AHF “Blair Underwood” Healthcare Center, located at 2141 K Street NW, Suite 606 between 21^st & 22^nd Streets, will offer free HIV and STD screenings and treatment, as well as testing and treatment for syphilis, gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Hours of service are Thursday evenings, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. No appointment is necessary.

“As AHF expands its healthcare services in Washington, we are proud to begin offering a targeted men’s wellness center at the AHF ‘Blair Underwood’ Healthcare Center,” said Dr. Roxanne Cox-lyamu, Medical Director for the AHF Blair Underwood Clinic. "The Men’s Wellness Center is designed to increase awareness, reduce risk and, if necessary, provide treatment services. By increasing access to these testing services, we aim to encourage men in the community to be tested for HIV and other STDs and to add sexual health check-ups as part of their routine health maintenance.”

AIDS Healthcare Foundation recently began offering HIV/AIDS testing, treatment, and care services in the Washington, D.C. area, opening the ‘AHF Blair Underwood Healthcare Center’ in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 24^th. The HIV rate in D.C. is now reported to be 3%—higher than the infection rate in Lagos, Nigeria. The healthcare center, AHF’s first to be named in honor of Hollywood actor and longtime AIDS advocate Blair Underwood, includes a state-of-the-art, full-service HIV/AIDS treatment clinic as well as an on-site AHF Pharmacy, and now, Men’s Wellness Center.

Underwood, an award-winning Hollywood actor, has been a longtime AIDS advocate, whose activism and advocacy on HIV/AIDS started after he visited the hard hit country of South Africa many years ago. He has previously been featured in several AHF media campaigns, most notably AHF’s highly-effective “Man Up” HIV testing media campaign which urges men to be tested. On opening day, Blair Underwood, along with AHF President, Michael Weinstein, AHF’s Dr. Roxanne Cox-lyamu, US Representative John Lewis (D-Ga.), representatives from the Obama Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the March of Dimes joined in celebrating the opening of the clinic and AHF’s first venture in the fight against AIDS in Washington DC.

To promote the new service, palm cards and flyers have been distributed in the area, which emphasize the convenience of the center and encourage regular screening for HIV and STDs.

“Getting regular STD screening is just another part of leading a healthy, active lifestyle,” added Dr. Cox-lyamu. “At the Men’s Wellness Center, you can get a full battery of sexual health tests all in one location. It is completely confidential and there is no cost to the clients. We hope the center will provide a needed service to the community.”