LGBTQ Health Care

Health care for and within the LGBTQ community goes further than a simple check-up.

RU12? Community Center recognizes that Health and Wellness encompasses all aspects of our lives as LGBTQ people, from our mental health, to HIV testing, to having knowledgeable and friendly health care practitioners whom we trust. In view of this, RU12? is committed to:

• Providing anonymous HIV testing, counseling, and referrals
• Increasing LGBTQ people's access to informed, safe, and friendly health care
• Working with current practitioners to increase their capacity for providing culturally competent health care
• Supporting LGBTQ people in choosing to stop tobacco use and exploring ways of having safer sex

Vermont Diversity Health Project

RU12?, in association with Vermont Cares & Outright Vermont, operates the Vermont Diversity Health Project. We help patients identify friendly, supportive and effective health care providers, and we offer training and support to enhance providers' skill in working with LGBTQ people. Visit VDHP, and search our provider database, to find an LGBTQ-friendly provider to meet your needs.

HIV Testing

The staff of RU12? offers free rapid HIV testing (results in 20 minutes) every Tuesday and Thursday, from 11am-6pm. Our HIV testing is anonymous and is done with an oral swab — no needles!

OraSure Testing (2 week turn-around) is also available 5 days a week. Call the center to make an appointment, or just drop in.

Please call Chase at 860.7812 or email him at chase@ru12.org if you have questions about either of the two ways available for HIV testing.

Prevention and Sexual Health

In addition to HIV testing and counseling, RU12? works to slow the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases through outreach, education, and community building.

• Training surrounding HIV/AIDS is available for community organizations, educational institutions and private businesses.
• We conduct online outreach through profiles on several prominent MSM websites to provide accurate information about safer sex and sexual health quickly and non-judgmentally.
• Our young gay and bi men's community building group, GLAM, promotes a safer-sex message as it provides fun events for the community.
• We make all sorts of safer sex supplies available to community members, for free! We're stocked with variety of condoms (latex and non-latex, standard and insertable, lubricated and dry'), dental dams, gloves, and lubes. We're prepared to help people figure out how to use them correctly
• We provide Hepatitis A & B vaccination clinics; check our calendar to see if one is coming up!

Feel free to e-mail Chase or Hannah with your sexual health questions and needs.

LGBTQ Health Links

• www.vtm4m.com - A sex & health site especially for gay, bi and queer guys in Vermont.
• www.safeguards.org - Health information for LGBTQ people, communities, and their providers
• www.lesbianhealthinfo.org - Lesbian health resources
• www.trans-health.com - A collection of articles on trans health concerns.
• nctequality.org/HealthFacts.pdf - Health overview for trans women
• http://sugroups.wustl.edu/~safezones/safersextransguys.pdf - Safer sex pamphlet for trans men
• www.thebody.com - Up-to-date and thorough information on HIV and AIDS