Alexandria Health Department. Steps In To Fill Void

The Whitman-Walker Clinic in Northern Virginia closed its doors earlier this year and now the Alexandria Health Department is trying a few new things to fill the void.

Matt Bamford, an activist in the local gay community, is spreading the word that the Alexandria Health Department's new Rainbow Tuesdays Clinic happens on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month...

"A lot of people have been like, 'Okay, well, we feel comfortable with Whitman-Walker, we know Whitman-Walker,'" said Bamford. "And it's very hard to get men out of their comfort zone."

Debby Dimon, a public health nurse supervisor, says losing Whitman-Walkers Arlington location was a blow to the entire area...

"There's no gay, bisexual, transgendered clinic in Northern Virginia, and we wanted to have a clinic that would reach the needs of men in our community".

Dimon says a growing need is treatment for Syphilis because after nearly being eradicated in the 90's, it has been on the rise since 2001.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says men who have sex with men account for 65 percent of new cases.

Treatment for the Syphilis is free at the Rainbow Tuesdays clinic.

Jonathan Wilson reports...