HIGH POINT, N.C. — North Carolina fell under the halfway mark in the 2023 America’s Health Rankings and almost came in last place in the country for public health funding, with high areas of concern in HPV vaccination, chlamydia and high-risk HIV behaviors ranked by the United Health Foundation in the 2023 Health Rankings.  

A clinic in our state is helping people get care for sexually transmitted diseases and overall health.  

Corey Higgins, is the director of Outreach and Prevention, helping provide contraceptives, testing and support for those with HIV for the Triad Health Project. THP was started almost 40 years ago through a group of friends battling the stigma and discrimination of friends with HIV and AIDS. 

“I'm from Greensboro, born and raised, and finding out this position was open, it meant so much to me because as a queer person of color or more likely to receive HIV, and I wanted to help my community as best as I can receive the resources that I didn't always have access to,” Higgins said. 

Corey Higgins looking at produce in THP's community garden. (Spectrum News 1/Sydney McCoy)

Now, according to its website, THP is one of the largest AIDS service organization in the state, including hiring some members of staff who have been affected by HIV.

The CDC shows in 2019, African Americans represent more than 40% of people who have HIV in the United States. Higgins said he has seen an increase in HIV in these communities in the past few years, along with an increase of services being requested. 

“So testing is important for everyone. There's no stigma. Gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis. They're just as common as the common cold … We try to normalize STIs here because eventually, based on certain behaviors, you probably will catch an STI, it's highly likely. And it doesn't just affect gay people, it affects everybody,” Higgins said. 

Triad Heath Project provides numerous free testing, including for gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis B and C and HIV. 

“We work with the Guilford County health department to get treatment. So you might test with us, they'll contact you for treatment, but it is completely complimentary, it's free,” Higgins said. 

Besides local testing, THP is working to provide information and testing to every corner of the state through its partnership with Q Care Plus, which helps connect patients to experts and at home or in person tests. 

“There a lot of people are reaching out across the state because this telehealth platform for PrEP is much more convenient for folks. Instead of making a whole appointment to go to the doctor's office, they can at their workplace, their lunch break, just get on the phone, a video call and then the HIV treatment. We've also seen the uptake and that because it's more confidential for folks, because unfortunately we're the biggest work that we do right now is still breaking down the stigma,” said Taylor Hicks, the director of Treatment and Wellness Services at THP. 

An annual report from North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services shows as of 2022, over 36,000 people in the state have HIV. Mecklenburg (7,249), Wake (3,877) and Guilford (2,715) are the counties with the highest cases in the state. 

“We want to make sure that people know that we're here for them, whatever their needs are. And we can get them what they need. We can resort, we can refer them out to get them what they need,” Higgins said. 

Triad Health Project received a $100,000 grant from The Foundation for a Healthy High Point to help provide more services to the community.  

“We'll just be able to have more staffing, to do more outreach and the community so folks know that try to help projects is here and the resource is here because that's like this year we're really focusing on getting Black women on PrEP, giving them access to more PrEP,” Hicks said. 

A THP member helping serve soup in their community event. (Spectrum News 1/Sydney McCoy)

Hicks said he hopes the funding will also help bring other areas of need to the clinic as well. 

“We’re also working to expand, hopefully to have birth control as part of our treatment services. It can be a one-stop shop for women. They can get birth control prep all in one visit and one provider instead of having to go to multiple places. Because especially here in High Point, transportation is really difficult … So also being able to go out into the community, go to folks like I'll go to people's homes and help them find out if they need to, if they can't do on their own, I'll go and show them the way,” Hicks said.

THP has locations in Greensboro and High point. The clinic has a community garden for anyone in the area also hosts many community events such as their “soup-off” to bring those in the community together as a support system to help end the stigma. THP’s day home for people living with HIV, Higher Ground, is located in Greensboro. 

Executive Director of THP Adriana Adams represented North Carolina, joining the Southern Aids Collation earlier this year for its AIDSWatch 2024 Southern Cohort, according to THP's website. It's an annual event where those living with HIV or impacted by the disease can speak with congressmen and senators to impact HIV legislation.