NORFOLK, Va. \u2014 The City of Norfolk has some of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Virginia. To address this, the Norfolk Department of Public Health (NDPH) and the Norfolk City Jail (NCJ) have teamed up to provide health screenings and treatment for people in jail. This new program focuses on preventing the spread of HIV, syphilis, and Hepatitis C.<\/p>\n
The program started in February 2026 to make it easier for inmates to get confidential testing.<\/p>\n
“This partnership gives us the opportunity to break down barriers to care and reach some of our residents who are often hard to reach,” said Dr. Susan Girois, Health Director of the Norfolk Department of Public Health. “Improving health in correctional facilities builds a safer, healthier community for everyone.”<\/p>\n
How the Program Works<\/strong><\/p>\n Twice a month, public health specialists go to the jail gymnasium to offer voluntary testing. They use “rapid tests” that give quick results for syphilis and HIV. In the first month alone, the team tested 32 people and found one case of syphilis, which they were able to treat immediately.<\/p>\n The need for this service is high. Even though the jail sees hundreds of people every month, about 100 people signed up for testing in just the first few weeks.<\/p>\n “We have seen a surprisingly high interest among inmates requesting testing, which is incredibly encouraging in that people are interested in their sexual and reproductive health wellness,\u201d said Virginia Rader, Director of Grants and LIDS for the Norfolk Sheriff\u2019s Office. \u201cEnsuring these individuals are screened and treated properly is a top priority for Norfolk City Jail.”<\/p>\n “Bringing testing directly into the jail is a meaningful step forward in meeting our patients where they are,” said Erin Topalian, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Mental Health Manager at the Norfolk Sheriff\u2019s Office. “This collaboration supports our inmates and reflects the Sheriff\u2019s vision to \u2018make a difference in the lives of others as far as we can reach.\u2019 We look forward to strengthening this partnership and are optimistic about what we can accomplish together.”<\/p>\n Growing for the Future<\/strong><\/p>\n The program is already expanding to offer more help:<\/p>\n By using the time someone is in jail to provide medical help, Norfolk is working to close the gap in healthcare and keep everyone in the city healthy.<\/p>\n # # #<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NORFOLK, Va. \u2014 The City of Norfolk has some of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Virginia. To address this, the Norfolk Department of Public Health (NDPH) and the Norfolk City Jail (NCJ) have teamed up to provide health screenings and treatment for people in jail. This new program focuses on preventing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":0,"parent":16853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[955,44,239,1634,995,1635,546,455],"class_list":["post-17918","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-dr-susan-girois","tag-hepatitis-c","tag-hiv","tag-jail","tag-norfolk-health-department","tag-rapid-tests","tag-sti","tag-syphilis"],"yoast_head":"\n\n