The Howard Brown Health Center is the Midwest’s premier lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health care organization[1], leading the region in addressing the comprehensive health care needs of people in the LGBT community. In 1974, a group of medical students founded Howard Brown Health Center as a response to rising rates of sexually transmitted diseases among gay men. In subsequent years, and with the advent of the AIDS crisis, Howard Brown Health Center developed a comprehensive array of services including primary medical care, mental health counselling, substance abuse services, prevention and education, research programs and case management. Howard Brown Health Center, named for Dr. Howard Junior Brown, was incorporated in 1976 as “Howard Brown Memorial Clinic”.
Howard Brown Health Center's main location is in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, one of the city's most diverse neighborhoods, and the one with the city's highest incidence of HIV/AIDS. Those aged 24 and under may access services at Howard Brown Health Center's Broadway Youth Center (BYC). The BYC is located in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood and is a program of Howard Brown and its community partners. The following services are offered at the BYC: daily health and education workshops, HIV/STD testing, case management, medical care, counselling, and social and support groups.