KISSIMMEE Fla. — A new nonprofit is now open in Kissimmee with the goal of serving Central Floridians living with HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.
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There was a chain-breaking ceremony to symbolize breaking the stigma surrounding HIV and STDs.
The Access Health Plus clinic opened its doors in August but had its official grand opening ceremony on Friday.
The facility, which already has about 350 patients, offers several resources and treatments for people in the community.
Juan Rodriguez, the clinic’s director of operations, said this kind of facility is important because of the growing number of HIV and STDs in the state of Florida.
According to AIDSVu.org, in 2021, nearly 14,300 people were living with HIV in the greater Orlando area. That same year, 618 people were newly diagnosed with HIV.
“We want to provide the best sexual health service we can so we can mitigate those numbers that such affect Florida right now,” Rodriguez said.
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Rodriguez hopes the clinic’s holistic approach will have a lasting impact on the community.
“We want to make sure they first receive education because education is vital for them to understand what treatment is,” he said.
The clinic’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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