STI Awareness Week: Know Your Status

This is Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Awareness Week, and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is reminding Chicagoans that knowing your status is a powerful step to take for your sexual health. While recent data from the CDC shows encouraging nationwide trends—a 9% drop in chlamydia cases and a 2% decrease in gonorrhea from 2019 to 2023—there's still work to be done. Syphilis cases have surged by 61%, and congenital syphilis (syphilis passed from parent to baby during pregnancy) has more than doubled. Alarmingly, nearly half of all new STI cases are in people under age 25.

Many STIs have no symptoms—meaning you or your partner could be infected and not even know it. The only way to know for sure is to get tested. In Chicago, chlamydia remains widespread, especially in the West, Near South, and Far South Side areas. Testing is essential, even if you use birth control or feel healthy. All STIs—including HIV—are treatable, and most are curable. Early testing means early action and better outcomes. Plus, there are prevention tools like PrEP, PEP, and now DoxyPEP, which can help reduce the risk of HIV and other bacterial STIs after exposure.

CDPH offers welcoming, same-day services at our STI Specialty Clinics in Roseland, Lakeview, and Austin. These clinics are conveniently located near communities with higher STI rates and provide nonjudgmental care in a peaceful environment. Don't wait for symptoms—protect yourself and your partner(s). Learn more and find clinic hours at chicago.gov/sti-hiv.

Empower yourself. Get tested. Know your status.

The City of Chicago and CDPH Announce $16 Million in Community Violence Intervention Grants for 2025

The Government Alliance for Safe Communities (GASC), which comprises leadership and key representatives from funding agencies at the State, County and City, was formed in 2021 to strengthen the local community safety ecosystem.

As part of this plan, the City of Chicago and CDPH launched two Community Violence Intervention (CVI) grant initiatives that invest $14.4 million in Street Outreach Services and $1.5 million in Hospital-Based Violence Intervention (HBVI). CDPH, through the Lead Organization for Expanding Capacity for Street Outreach and Violence Interruption Services opportunity, awarded two organizations to manage a network of community-based organizations which effectively provide CVI services in 25 Chicago communities most impacted by violence. The HBVI initiative awarded three organizations to expand services to rapidly respond to survivors of acute violent injuries within hospital settings.

“Evidence shows that violence can be reduced by addressing risk factors and promoting protective measures,” shared Dr. Olusimbo Ige, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. “We are investing in CVI programs because street outreach by credible messengers and behavioral science-informed interventions, help de-escalate stressful situations before they lead to violence. Through these violence intervention grants, we are able to support organizations that are working in communities to make our city safer for everyone.”

Read the full release here.

Black Maternal Health Week Recap, Resources

Family Connects Chicago's Black Maternal Health & Wellness Fair was a success last weekend (April 12) at Wendell Smith Elementary School, 744 E. 103rd St., providing over 40 families with valuable women's and maternal health information.

Attendees engaged in a nutrition demonstration, participated in vision board planning, movement exercises, and were able to shop at the WIC mobile grocery store. CDPH's Queen's Initiative program was also involved, hosting a grief workshop and providing health education resources. Pregnant people and growing families can find resources through CDPH programs such as Family Connects Chicago and WIC.

The theme of Black Maternal Health Week this year is “Healing Legacies: Strengthening Black Maternal Health Through Collective Action and Advocacy.”

Healthy Chicago Podcast

Episode 75 [ENGLISH]: During Black Maternal Health Week, Commissioner Olusimbo Ige is joined in conversation by Monica Mitchell of CDPH and Hailey Steele from EverThrive Illinois to discuss the findings of focus groups on the South and West sides of Chicago, the needs for education and advocacy tools to help pregnant individuals and their children in disinvested communities, and what resources are available to pregnant people and their babies in Chicago.

Listen or watch the newest episodes on YouTube, Spotify, Apple and the CDPH website.

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