HIV/STD Prevention Program

The Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services (HCPHES) Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) / Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention Program provides education, counseling, and testing services to help prevent the spread of HIV and STDs.

HIV and STDs – General Information

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is an infection that passes from one person to another through sexual contact or contact with infected blood or body fluids. When people are infected with HIV, the virus causes serious damage to their immune systems, making it easy for them to catch other infections or to develop certain kinds of cancer. The most advanced stage of HIV infection is called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, and it can be deadly. HIV infection cannot be cured, but now people infected with HIV can take medication and live longer lives if the infection is found early enough.

Besides HIV, there are many other sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs). Some of them can be cured, like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. Others cannot be cured, like Hepatitis B, herpes and human papillomavirus. But all of them can cause serious damage to people’s health, even threatening their lives.

For more information on HIV and STDs:

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) STDs website
• CDC HIV website
• Texas Department of State Health Services HIV/STD Program

HIV Counseling & Testing

The HCPHES HIV/STD Prevention Program offers:

•  HIV/STD prevention counseling
• HIV/STD testing  
• HIV referral services