News :: Health

Some STIs down in SF last year

Some STIs down in SF last year

  • by John Ferrannini
  • Mar 8, 2023

Rates of some sexually transmitted infections in San Francisco declined slightly in 2022, according to year-end numbers released by the city's Department of Public Health.

SFGH's Ward 86 commemorates 40 years

SFGH's Ward 86 commemorates 40 years

  • by Liz Highleyman
  • Feb 1, 2023

Ward 86, the first dedicated HIV clinic in the United States, recently marked its 40th anniversary with a commemoration at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

FDA draft would allow monogamous gay and bisexual men to donate blood

FDA draft would allow monogamous gay and bisexual men to donate blood

  • by John Ferrannini
  • Jan 27, 2023

The United States Food and Drug Administration released a draft of new blood donation guidance Friday that would allow gay and bisexual men in sexually monogamous relationships to donate blood — but not if they are on PrEP.

FDA approves twice-yearly HIV treatment

FDA approves twice-yearly HIV treatment

  • by Liz Highleyman
  • Dec 28, 2022

There is a new long-acting drug for people with highly resistant HIV who have, until now, had limited medication options.

FDA may allow more gay men to donate blood

FDA may allow more gay men to donate blood

  • by Liz Highleyman
  • Dec 14, 2022

Gay and bisexual men may soon be allowed to donate blood without a fixed period of sexual abstinence, the federal Food and Drug Administration announced late last month in response to a Wall Street Journal report about the policy change.

SF health department expands mpox vaccine recommendations

SF health department expands mpox vaccine recommendations

  • by Cynthia Laird
  • Dec 9, 2022

The San Francisco Department of Public Health on Friday dropped eligibility criteria for the mpox vaccine and now says that anyone at risk should be able to get the shot.

LGBTQ Agenda: Webinar looks at supporting tobacco-free LGBTQ communities

LGBTQ Agenda: Webinar looks at supporting tobacco-free LGBTQ communities

  • by Eric Burkett
  • Nov 15, 2022

With the growth in acceptance of LGBTQ people came a curious byproduct: increased attention and marketing.

SF pioneers rollout of new STI prevention tool

SF pioneers rollout of new STI prevention tool

  • by Liz Highleyman
  • Oct 21, 2022

San Francisco is the first city to issue guidelines on the use of doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, or doxy-PEP, to prevent sexually transmitted infections, the Department of Public Health announced October 20.

SF to let MPX emergency expire Oct. 31

SF to let MPX emergency expire Oct. 31

  • by Eric Burkett
  • Oct 20, 2022

Three months after San Francisco declared a state of emergency for the monkeypox outbreak, the first government in the country to do so, it's now winding down.

CA and SF further expand MPX vaccine eligibility

CA and SF further expand MPX vaccine eligibility

  • by Eric Burkett
  • Oct 13, 2022

While MPX infection rates continue to level off, both in San Francisco and across the United States, health officials from the state level on down are expanding vaccine eligibility in order to continue getting shots into arms.

SF MPX cases declining

SF MPX cases declining

  • by Eric Burkett
  • Oct 5, 2022

Both locally and nationally, health care and medical officials are allowing themselves to feel something they haven't enjoyed in a while: cautious optimism.

Castro-Mission Health Center reopens

Castro-Mission Health Center reopens

  • by BAR staff
  • Sep 21, 2022

Officials celebrated the completed renovation of the Castro-Mission Health Center last week with a ribbon-cutting.

SF health dept. expands MPX vaccines to non-city residents through Oct. 2

SF health dept. expands MPX vaccines to non-city residents through Oct. 2

  • by Eric Burkett
  • Sep 16, 2022

As San Francisco continues its efforts to rein in monkeypox, the city is getting help in the form of 10,000 additional Jynneos vaccines from the federal government, just in time for the beginning of the fall street fair season and associated events.

In a 1st, gay & bi men account for less than half of new SF HIV cases

In a 1st, gay & bi men account for less than half of new SF HIV cases

  • by Liz Highleyman
  • Sep 13, 2022

For the first time, gay and bisexual men who don't inject drugs accounted for less than half of new HIV cases in San Francisco last year.