This NYC LGBTQ+ health clinic is giving away the ultimate Pride Month survival kit

In the spirit of community care, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in New York City is taking to the streets this Pride season to equip queer and trans folks with the supplies they need to have a good time and stay safe.

The health center, known for providing accessible healthcare to LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, will be handing out “party packs” in an effort to minimize the spread of sexually transmitted infections and to help people have safer sex this Pride month. Callen-Lorde announced to its social media that the bags will include a rapid HIV testing kit by OraSure, DoxyPEP (also known as the “morning after pill” for bacterial STIs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis), PrEP on demand that can be taken before and after sex, lube, sunscreen, lip balm, dental dams, and condoms, as well as Fentanyl testing strips and naloxone, an opioid overdose-reversing drug. People can also add Plan B to their kits by request.

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“Callen-Lorde is gonna give it out to free to you,” Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Chief Medical Officer at Callen-Lorde, said in a public service announcement about the initiative. The bags are well-timed, as temperatures heat up this June and queer and trans people gather in community spaces, especially given the recent rise of STI transmission rates.

Health experts have previously told The Advocate that these rising rates, coupled with the Trump administration's active efforts to dismantle public health institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mean that prevention measures and STI tracking are more important than ever.

The bags will be available at no cost to the community and will be available for pickup beginning at noon on June 5 and 6, as well as on June 12, 13, and 14, at Callen-Lorde’s Chelsea Clinic at 356 West 18th Street. You can also check Callen-Lorde’s social media to see other locations where you can pick one up.

Head over and pick them up to prepare for your Pride Season!