Purpose Spring 2026

Spring 2026

Celebrating Pride with CCI At CCI, love, respect, and care go hand in hand. We're here for every person, every family, and every story— because everyone deserves great healthcare.

Now available for purchase on CCI's merch shop. Check out our online store for tees, buttons, and more with this design!

Dear Friends, Sexual health is health. It is part of how people care for their bodies, plan their futures, protect their relationships, and access critical information for their overall well-being. Yet for too many people, conversations about sexual health are still surrounded by stigma, silence, fear, or misinformation. At CCI Health Services, we believe health care should make those conversations easier, safer, and more accessible.

This issue of Purpose focuses on sexual health because the need is urgent and the opportunity is real. Maryland continues to see significant rates of sexually transmitted infections, and Prince George’s County remains among the jurisdictions most impacted. These numbers are not just data points. They represent young people, parents, partners, families, and neighbors who deserve prevention, testing, treatment, education, and care without judgment.

As a community health center, CCI is built for this work. We meet people in exam rooms, at schools, at health fairs, at community events, and in the everyday places where trust is formed. We make HIV and STI screening a routine part of care. We connect patients who test positive for HIV to treatment. We provide family planning support, mental health counseling, vaccines, prevention tools, and education that help people make informed decisions for themselves and their families.

Just as importantly, we do this work with respect. Whole-person care means understanding that sexual health cannot be separated from primary care, behavioral health, reproductive health, maternal health, or the social realities that shape people’s lives. It means creating space for honest questions, giving people information before there is a crisis and prevention feel normal, not shameful.

In the pages ahead, you will see the many ways CCI is advancing that commitment through clinical care, public health outreach, community partnerships, and the leadership of people who believe deeply in healthier communities. You will also see what has always been true about our mission: we are at our best when we are close to the people we serve.

Thank you for being part of this work and for believing, as we do, that every person deserves the knowledge, care, and support needed to live a healthy and empowered life.

Sincerely,

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4–5 Follow the Data: A Look at STI Diagnoses in Maryland 6–7 Sexual Health Check-Up 8 CCI in the Community 9 What’s Happening on Social?

10 CCI in the Community

Sonya Bruton, PsyD, MPA CEO and President

11 Board Highlight: Omar Marroquin 12 2025 Impact Report

FOLLOW the DATA A Look at STI Diagnoses in Maryland According to the Maryland Annual STI Epidemiological Profile, chlamydia and gonorrhea are the most common STIs in Maryland. In 2021, Maryland reported 30,484 chlamydia diagnoses compared to 35,836 in 2023. Fast forward to 2024, chlamydia diagnoses fell 14.2% to 30,744.

The same goes for gonorrhea cases. In 2021, Maryland reported 10,567 diagnoses compared to 12,802 in 2023.

The latest data shows that in 2024, a total of 11,001 gonorrhea diagnoses were reported, a 14.1% decrease.

While the data tells us that for the first time since 2020, STI diagnoses decreased across the state, this doesn’t mean the work stops here. Many infections often go undetected as they usually have no symptoms. This can lead to a significant underestimate of the actual number of people diagnosed.

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Top Jurisdictions with the Highest Rate of STI Diagnoses

In 2024, a total of 44,840 STI diagnoses (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) were reported, with a rate of 715.9 diagnoses per 100,000 people.

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BALTIMORE CITY 1,942.2 per 100,000 DORCHESTER COUNTY 1,125.6 per 100,000

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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY 1,071.0 per 100,000 WICOMICO COUNTY 1,028.9 per 100,000

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Source: Maryland Annual STI Epidemiological Profile 2024. Maryland Department of Health, Baltimore, MD. 2025.

CHARLES COUNTY 797.2 per 100,000

If people are not screened for STIs, they can go undiagnosed, unreported, and untreated, furthering the spread of infection. Increasing access to sexual health education and testing services is critical to community health.

Chlamydia in 2024

Gonorrhea in 2024

GEOGRAPHIC REGION

GEOGRAPHIC REGION

Prince George’s County: highest number of chlamydia diagnoses

Baltimore City: highest number and rate of gonorrhea diagnoses

Baltimore City: highest rate of chlamydia diagnoses ASSIGNED SEX AT BIRTH

ASSIGNED SEX AT BIRTH

People assigned female sex at birth accounted for the highest number and rate of chlamydia diagnoses.

People assigned male sex at birth accounted for the highest number and rate of gonorrhea diagnoses.

RACE AND ETHNICITY

RACE AND ETHNICITY

Non-Hispanic Black people accounted for the highest number and rate of chlamydia diagnoses.

Non-Hispanic Black people accounted for the highest number and rate of gonorrhea diagnoses.

AGE

AGE

People ages 15–24 accounted for the highest number and rate of chlamydia diagnoses.

People ages 15–24 accounted for the highest number and rate of gonorrhea diagnoses.

Source: Maryland Annual STI Epidemiological Profile 2024. Maryland Department of Health, Baltimore, MD. 2025.

A Note from the Field As the Infectious Disease Program Manager at CCI, I work alongside our clinical care team to diagnose, treat, prevent, and respond to diseases. At CCI, we have worked hard to be sex positive, normalize conversations regarding sexual health, and make screening a routine part of care. All patients above the age of 15 are automatically screened for HIV and STI’s unless they specifically decline. We aim to create an environment where we are providing whole patient care, which is inclusive of their sexual wellbeing.

We also work closely with community partners, like SLK and Gilead, on outreach events that increase awareness of STIs and HIV in Maryland. One way we provide this type of health education is by playing a “Spin the Wheel” trivia game.

Through these trivia questions, we can test the community’s knowledge and share statistics and anecdotes about sexual health.

— Alexandrea McIntosh-Ogunfolu, Infectious Disease Program Manager at CCI

Sexual Health CHECK-UP According to the National Coalition for Sexual Health, being sexually healthy means being able to enjoy a healthier body, a satisfying sexual life, positive relationships, and peace of mind. While talking about sex openly may seem taboo to some, being free to talk about it with a partner or medical provider is key to maintaining good sexual health.

Primary care providers, nurse practitioners, women’s health specialists, pharmacists, and health educators, are all trained to provide sexual health services, counseling, and/or resources. What does this look like in practice? Well, it all starts with prevention. While prevention includes a wide range of activities, they are often broken down into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary.

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Primary Prevention This approach aims to prevent disease before it occurs. This includes talking to patients about condoms, PrEP, birth control, and vaccines.

Secondary Prevention This approach aims to reduce the impact of a disease. This looks like screening and treating sexually transmitted infections (STIs) early, whether there are symptoms or not.

Tertiary Prevention This approach aims to treat a current condition to prevent others, like treating HIV to prevent complications of untreated HIV.

A good medical provider helps take care of the whole body. But it starts with a conversation.

CCI’s Adult and Family Medicine Director, Dr. Immirne Ouwinga, shares how she integrates sexual health into routine visits to normalize and prioritize prevention as a form of self-care.

Past History In addition to a patient’s family history, I like to use this time to also discuss their relevant sexual history. This includes partners in the last six months, condom use, genders of partners, history of STI’s, past diagnoses, and results. A patient may say, “I don’t need screening, I’m only with my boyfriend/girlfriend.” In my experience, the patient who warrants the most education is the one that doesn’t know they need it.

Protection Health education is important. I educate my patients on prevention modalities such as PrEP, PEP, and DoxyPep, which help reduce the transmission of HIV and some STIs. I also talk to them about vaccines, such as HPV, Hep B, Mpox, and others. Sometimes a patient may ask me about something they’ve seen on TikTok or Instagram, which opens the conversation about protecting themselves.

Pregnancy Intention Whether they’re in a new relationship, in a long-term one, or have multiple partners, I want my patients to know that they can make informed decisions about when and how they get pregnant.

I also talk to them about pregnancy prevention, offering long-acting reversible hormonal/non-hormonal contraception on their terms.

Recommended Preventive Sexual Health Services SCREENINGS To test for STIs and HIV • Cervical cancer • Chlamydia • Gonorrhea • Hepatitis B • Hepatitis C • Herpes • Syphilis • Trichomoniasis • HIV testing VACCINES To protect against infectious diseases • Hepatitis A • Hepatitis B • HPV • Mpox COUNSELING To empower people and their partners to make healthy decisions for themselves • Contraception/Birth control • Pre-Conception • STIs

Most sexual health services are available at no cost with insurance or at a low cost (and sometimes free!) at community health centers and family planning clinics like CCI.

CCI

IN THE

Community

This spring, CCI has been out in full force. We visited schools, attended health fairs, and participated in community events to share health information and spark new connections. Our grassroots approach lets us meet people where they are, fostering conversations that are the first step to patient care. Check out where we’ve been!

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CCI hosted its second Maybe Baby Brunch at Busboys and Poets in May. We explored all things preconception care, reproductive wellness, and sexual health, creating a safe space for attendees to ask questions, learn, and connect.

Guests left with valuable resources, practical tools, and renewed confidence to begin or continue their journey toward parenthood.

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Luminis Health’s Community Baby Shower brought together expectant mothers and fathers in a special way. The day included informative presentations on maternal health, a variety of local vendors offering supportive services, and giveaways for attendees.

CCI had the chance to meet with expectant mothers to share information about our prenatal services and CenteringPregnancy program. We also highlighted our pediatric and dental services.

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March 7th: Maryland Physicians Care Resource Event (Takoma Park) March 14th: Hearts & Health: The Colors of Courage Community Health & Wellness Fair (Greenbelt) March 15th: Respect Fest (Wheaton) March 17: Eleanor Roosevelt Career Fair (Greenbelt) March 26th: Seneca Valley High School Health Fair (Germantown) April 10th: James Hubert Blake High School Career Fair (Cloverly) April 11th: Zion Church Total Health & Wellness Fest: Uplifting the Mind, Body, & Soul (Greenbelt) April 11th: Luminis Health Community Baby Shower (Glendale)

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April 16th: Black Maternal Health Fair (Wheaton) April 18th: Montgomery Hills Street Fest (Silver Spring) April 22th: Greencastle Elementary School Health Fair (Silver Spring) May 9th: Maybe Baby Brunch (Hyattsville) May 15th: Bike to Work Day (Silver Spring & Greenbelt) May 30th: Community Movie Night (Silver Spring)

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Board Highlight: Omar Marroquin For Omar Marroquin, home means both family and community. He grew up as a first-generation American in DC, and he credits not only his parents but also the people around him for shaping who he is. These experiences inspired him to look for ways to give back.

“I've always tried to find those opportunities to give back, contribute, and be active in the community in whatever way possible,” says Marroquin.

Omar’s desire to give back led him to join the CCI Health Services board. He’s the program manager at Crossroads Farmers Market, a weekly outdoor market in the Takoma/Langley Park area that helps make fresh, healthy food more affordable for residents. Each season, CCI works closely with Crossroads to distribute WIC benefits, and through this partnership, Omar has become familiar with the Takoma Park WIC staff.

“I really want to support the efforts of an organization that has such a presence in our community,” he says.

Another reason Omar wanted to get involved with CCI was seeing how hard his parents worked, often without being able to focus on their health. Before his mother’s passing 17 years ago, he watched her health decline.

“A lot of it is that we just don't have many options in our communities,” Omar says about the barriers faced by many like his parents. “It's important to provide representation in the health field.

People like my parents weren’t able to advocate for the services they received or understand how treatments affected them.”

When asked about the most important responsibility of a CCI board member, Omar says that representation and speaking up for healthy communities matter most to him.

“I think the most important responsibility is to remain informed about the realities of today's climate, not only for the organization, but also for the patients on the receiving end. Meeting everybody else on the board, I love seeing the different perspectives. The different experiences that they're bringing,” he says.

“Just being true to yourself and what you've experienced, what your community around you has experienced. Knowing that what you're bringing to the table, in terms of stories and what you're witnessing, it all contributes to a better idea of what we can offer for our patients.”

Beyond collaborating with CCI’s WIC program as part of Crossroads, when Omar’s son was younger, his family was also a WIC participant. It’s how he’s experienced CCI’s impact firsthand. He points to how welcoming and helpful the WIC staff is, and how something as simple as accessible locations makes it feel like they really know the community they serve.

Omar sees the CCI board as a unique opportunity for people with diverse life experiences and perspectives to contribute and learn from one another. And although he is new to the board, he knows that running an organization like CCI is challenging.

“There are a lot of factors involved when it comes to what you're able to provide for the community and the resources available to us. And so, it's tough.

You want to be able to do everything for everybody, and you want to be able to say it's easier than what the numbers present themselves to be. But I think it's important, as board members, to be involved and aware of those realities, and to try to find that balance.”

Finding a balance between sustainability and expanding opportunities to better serve the community is what Omar wants for CCI.

“My hope for the future is that we'll continue to build on the successes we've shown, especially in recent years of gaining the trust of our community and meeting our patients where they are.”

What’s Happening on Social?

Building Community in Real Life and Extending Our Outreach Online

Are you following us on social media? If not, here’s what you may have missed! #SupportPublicHealth

#CCICares

#CommunityHealthCenters

#ValueCHCs

National Condom Week For National Condom Week in February, CCI’s Outreach team went to Downtown Silver Spring to ask passersby one question: “What do you think is the most common mistake people make when using condoms?”

Mindful Mondays In March, we partnered with The Mindfulness Center to launch our new monthly series, Mindful Mondays.

The virtual event brings easy-to-follow mindfulness activities to everyday life by focusing on a different practice each session.

The series is streamed live on CCI’s Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube accounts.

You can watch the “man on the street” style video on CCI’s Instagram.

International Design Day For International Design Day in April, we looked at the construction of our newest health center in Greenbelt.

From complete demolition to fully reimagined spaces, our largest health center to date shows how design decisions can support community health.

Stay up to date and follow us! @CCIcares

2025 Impact Report A year of building with focus and discipline

During a year with competing demands, our direction at CCI remained clear: expand access, strengthen the systems that support care, and ensure that what we build is sustainable. Read more in CCI’s 2025 Impact Report.

8665 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 301.340.7525 | 301.495.0318 | www.cciweb.org | info@cciweb.org Follow us on social media @CCIcares