New Jersey: Ocean County Board of Health Gets $92,000 State Grant to Prevent HIV/AIDS

The state government of New Jersey recently awarded $92,000 to the Ocean County Board of Health for HIV/AIDS prevention in fiscal year 2013. According to Leslie D. Terjesen, the county's Board of Health spokesperson, the funds will be used for the counseling and testing program, as the HIV/AIDS clinic is funded through the Ryan White Program. Terjesen stated that the counseling and testing clinic tested 784 persons in 2011 and 578 persons as of late October of this year.

The Ocean County Health Department provides free and confidential HIV counseling and testing and maintains a full service clinic for HIV/AIDS patients who have no medical insurance. Testing is done on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings of each week at its main headquarters. A limited number of daytime appointments can be made, and bilingual counseling is available.

The state's Department of Health estimates that more than 36,000 people in New Jersey are living with HIV. Approximately 7,000 state residents with HIV/AIDS receive drugs through the health department's AIDS drug distribution program. Testing sites located in all 21 counties include community organizations, hospitals, health departments, community health centers, and other health care facilities. Funding was distributed for specific purposes: some agencies, such as the Ocean County Board of Health, received grants in one category, and other organizations received funding for care, treatment, and behavioral services.

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