205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Harm Reduction Specialist 509-933-8207
Health Department Front Desk 509-962-7515
communityhealth@co.kittitas.wa.us
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that weakens the immune system. Hepatitis C is a virus that damages the liver. Both of these diseases are spread by contact with the blood of an infected person. Both diseases can be treated, and hepatitis C can often be cured. Two other forms of viral hepatitis, hepatitis A and B, can be prevented by vaccination.
The HIV and Hepatitis Prevention Program offers educational presentations, outreach, and free confidential testing to at-risk individuals to help reduce the spread of HIV and viral hepatitis infections in Kittitas County.
Interactive presentations about these bloodborne diseases are available to at-risk groups on request..
People who have risk factors for these diseases and barriers to testing in a full-service clinic can get free testing at KCPHD. Rapid hepatitis C testing is now available! Just a drop of blood from the finger can produce results in about 30 minutes. The HIV test requires getting a tube of blood from a vein. When a person tests positive for these infections, KCPHD staff help find an affordable, health care provider and other resources to successfully treat or manage these conditions.
HIV and hepatitis C can be spread by sharing injection equipment. To reduce spread of these diseases, the Never Share Syringe Exchange is open every Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the United Methodist Church at the corner of 3rd and Ruby in Ellensburg, and every Wednesday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm (by appointment only) in Cle Elum, behind the Medic One Office at 505 Power Street. To schedule an appointment in Cle Elum, please call the front desk or Harm Reduction Specialist.
