A new report shows there were a little more than 1,500 cases of HIV in the state last year, which is a two percent drop from 2014.
However, Illinois ranks eleventh in the nation for rates of other STD’s like Chlamydia and Syphilis.
Governor Bruce Rauner enacted a law to provide insurance coverage for HIV prevention and treatment medicines.
Now, the state’s public health department is launching a website to make prevention drugs more accessible for people at risk of getting the virus.
Eduardo Alvarado is with the department. He says the site’s staff can enroll residents into a clinic and service based on insurance type.
“And for those that are not connected with a particular insurance, or have other means, there is state assistance to still connect them to those services,” Alvarado said.
The health department encourages people to talk openly about HIV and other STD’s.
