by Juan Lopez, Ventura County Public Health
Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) is an active partner in the HIV community and in the prevention space. In addition to helping clients navigate insurance systems, benefits, finding providers and getting into treatment, we are also out in the community offering testing to vulnerable populations who may not be accessing health care. We have initiated a PrEP (PreExposure Prophylaxis) clinic for HIV and are able to offer these services to people who may not have access to these medications due to various barriers.
These services are vitally important, and the preliminary 2025 numbers for Ventura County confirm that importance. The State Office of AIDS is still confirming the numbers, but it does indicate there is about a 15% rise in new diagnoses compared to 2024 (from 71 cases in 2024 to 82 cases in 2025). This number looks big, but it’s important to put it in perspective.
This number represents an additional 11 cases total; because our numbers are small in this county, even a modest change can look like a large percentage jump.
One important reason for the rise in cases is that we are testing more people in more places.
VCPH offers HIV testing at our Syringe Exchange Program (SEP) sites across the county. A Public Health Nurse and a Community Health Worker rotate through 10 locations providing HIV testing along with screening for other sexually transmitted infections (STls) to address populations who may be at higher risk and may not often access health care.
We provide testing at the county jail. Inmates are alerted that Public Health can test them for all STls, including HIV, and they can request those services while on site.
Another avenue for testing is the “opt-out” testing at a few Emergency Rooms (ERs) in the county. Patients in ER who require a blood draw will automatically be tested for HIV unless they decline. This approach helps identify early infections in people who may not realize they are at risk.
Finally, the new PrEP clinic is encouraging more people to get tested before starting PrEP medications. This creates another opportunity to detect early infections and connect people to care. We still have work to do to bring down the number of new HIV diagnoses in our area, but we are working hard and partnering with our community to educate, prevent and get early, effective
treatment into the hands of all who need care.
For more information, call The Center at (805) 652-6267 or visit our website at https://hca.venturacounty.gov/public-health/hiv-aids-center/