# Presentation: 333825

## U.S. DHHS - Office on Women’s Health HIV/AIDS Programs 

- Frances E. Ashe-Goins RN, MPH
- Deputy Director -Office on Women’sHealth
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

## Slide 2

## Cultural Issues

- Gender Role...in the World of Sex
- Male/Female socialization (power ...limits female assertion)
- Secrets and Sex
- Empathetic to Minority Male Oppression
- Hygiene...douching, over the counter yeast creams
- Distrust...Disbelief

## Culture cont.

- Myths Around Sexuality
- Social and Information Network (HIV/AIDS whispered, closeted)
- Stigma (discrimination, isolation)
- Little, poor or no communication with Healthcare Providers (influenced by ethnicity, race, gender,  class, language, etc)

## Socio-Economic Factors

- Poverty...low income...part-time employment
- Limited education...functional illiteracy
- Outside mainstream (weak messages back in the neighborhood)
- No relationship to Public Models of PWAs (the FACE of AIDS)
- Little or No Influence on Decision Makers and/or Program Designers and/or Service Providers

## Socio-Economic Factors Cont.

- Limited Time..No Time
- Limited Access to Primary Care/ Prevention Screening...no money...no insurance
- Living in severely distressed communities
- Violence in communities and Families

## Other Risk Factors

- Migration
- The “**NEED**” to Reproduce
- Societal Norms (young women/older men; concurrent partners of males
- Histories of Trauma (childhood sexual abuse, incest, domestic violence)
- Male Female Ratio Deficit (Blacks in 30’s where whites are in their 60’s)

## 1. The Model Mentorship Program for Strengthening Organizational Capacity

**F****unds demonstration projects for mentorship between minority health organizations and women-based and/or AIDS service organizations (ASO). **
**Programmatic, administrative, fiscal, and technical assistance is provided to expand the organizational capacity of smaller organizations.**
**Small organizations become better prepared to operate their agencies and implement successful HIV/AIDS programs independently.**

## Mentoring Partnership Program - Mentor

*	*
*	****Employing a mentoring partnership approach, certified small businesses with expertise in organizational development and minority women’s health serve as mentors. They present trainings, tutorials, and skills-building exercises with protégé organizations to:***
**	****	****1. strengthen organizational and programmatic                ****	****    capacity**
**	****	****2. develop and/or adapt prevention programs of small  ****	****     organizations that are gender- focused**

## FY06 contractors

***Hinton Hoyt & Associates (Takoma Park, MD)***
***The Helix Group, Inc. (Camp Springs, MD)***
***A Strategic Solution Inc. (Boston, MA)***
***Behavioral Assessment Inc. (Los Angeles, CA)***

## Mentoring Partnership Program - Protégé

*	*
*	****Small non-profit organizations (community based, faith based, women’s service organizations) are funded as protégés. As protégés work in a mentoring partnership with a mentor, they gain skills in core organizational and programmatic areas. As a result of strengthening organizational infrastructure and building gender-focused HIV/AIDS prevention programs, protégés may offer improved services to women impacted by HIV/AIDS****. *

## FY06 Contractors

***Youth and Families Enrichment Services/YOFES (Mattapan, MA)***
***Comizia Care, Inc. (Conyers, GA)***
***Selvy Hall Foundation**** ****(Pontico, MI)***
***Little River County Training School Alumni Association (Ashdown, A)***
***Glory to Glory House of Refuge (Raleigh, NC)***
***Women, Inc. (Greensboro, NC)***
***Vision Leadership Institute (Columbia, SC)***
***Inner Summit, Inc. (Decatur, GA)******	***

## 2. HIV Prevention for Women Living in the Rural South

- 	***This program is designed to reduce denial, demystify the stigma and increase knowledge and capacity of young and adult rural women to protect themselves and gain access to health care resources. ***

## Prevention in the Rural SouthGoals

- 1.	Develop and implement a collaborative partnership to conduct HIV/AIDS  education and prevention programs
- 2.	Provide _accurate _and _comprehensive_ information on primary and secondary HIV/AIDS prevention
- 3.	Increase knowledge of HIV prevention among rural women.

## FY06 Contractors

- Columbus Wellness Outreach and Prevention Project, Columbus, GA
- HEROES, Columbia, LA
- Building Bridges, Inc. Jackson, MS

## 3. Incarcerated/Newly Released Women Living with HIV/AIDS

*	*
*    ****Demonstration projects intended to build a continuum of healthcare and support services provided for incarcerated and newly-released minority women living with HIV/AIDS/STDs****.*

## Incarcerated/Newly Released Objectives

**1.****	****Develop and implement prevention and support services in collaboration with local health care entities, social services, and criminal justice offices**
**2.****	****Establish a model for continuum of care and secondary prevention counseling  to improve health outcomes**

## Incarcerated/Newly Released Objectives (cont’d)

**3.****	****Develop and sustain comprehensive HIV/AIDS/STD prevention and support services to incarcerated/newly released women living with HIV/AIDS in collaboration with health entities, care providers, social services, correctional facilities, etc**
**4.****	****Establish community linkages and networks for ensuring quality continuum of care, transitional support, discharge planning and preparation and HIV/STD prevention services for incarcerated/newly released women living with or at high risk for HIV/AIDS.**

## FY06 Contractors

**Action for Boston Community Development Inc., Boston, Suffolk County, MA**
**AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc., Houston, Harris Co., TX **
**Women Accepting Responsibility, Baltimore, Maryland**

## 4. HIV Prevention for Women Attending Minority Institutions

- Hispanic Serving
- Institutions

- Historically Black
- Colleges & Universities

- Tribal Colleges
- & Universities

## HIV Prevention Program for Young Women Attending Minority Institutions

*	****Historical Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities Program is intended to develop prevention programs for college age minority women to increase their knowledge and abilities in decreasing their vulnerability for acquiring HIV/AIDS; practicing the ABC- ***_***A***_***bstinence, ***_***B***_***eing Faithful, ***_***C***_***ondoms, etc. ***

## 
Identify effective methods to educate and increase awareness for prevention of HIV/AIDS/STDs infection among women attending minority institutions.
Develop capacity for minority institutions to adequately address HIV/AIDS/STDs prevention education needs of the women on campus.

**Identify effective methods to educate and increase awareness for prevention of HIV/AIDS/STDs infection among women attending minority institutions.**
**Develop capacity for minority institutions to adequately address HIV/AIDS/STDs prevention education needs of the women on campus.**

- HIV Prevention Program for Young Women Attending Minority InstitutionsObjectives

## HIV Prevention Program Minority Institution Goals (cont’d)

- 3.	**Establish partnerships with campus student organizations and community organizations to increase access to reproductive health education, behavioral risk-reduction information, counseling and HIV/STD testing. **
**4.****	****Develop gender centered education and prevention training modules on HIV/AIDS/STDs prevention education.**
**5.****	****Ensure health education training modules are culturally and linguistically appropriate for young minority women. **

## FY06 Contractors

- Center for Health Training, Austin, TX (**Grambling State University**, Grambling, LA)
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (**Virginia State University**, Petersburg, VA)
- Edward Waters College, Jacksonville, FL
- O.R.A.N.E (Office of Research and Empowerment), Durham, NC (**North Carolina Central University, Durham**, NC)
**Norfolk State University**, Norfolk, VA

## Continued...

_**Southern University and A&M College**_, Baton Rouge, LA
**The Center for Health Training, **Austin, TX (_**San Antonio College**__, San Antonio, TX)_
_**The University of Texas at San Antonio**_, San Antonio, TX
**Florida International University**, Miami, FL
**National Latina Health Network**, Washington, DC (_**Union County College**__, Cranford, NJ and Kean University, Union, NJ_
_**Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute**_, Albuquerque, New Mexico
_**Salish Kootenai College**_, Pablo, MT

## 5. Intergenerational Approaches to HIV/AIDS Prevention Education for Women Across The Lifespan Pilot Program 

*	****This program comprises cross-generational HIV/AIDS  prevention education approaches specific to needs of minority women who are grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and aunts.****** ***

## Intergenerational Pilot Program Goals

**Develop and pilot a program with cross-generational HIV/AIDS  prevention education approaches specific to needs of minority women who are grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and aunts. **
**Create strategies that are built upon caring, trusting familial relationships and thus provide a bridge to link educational approaches that reach three generations of minority women. **
**As a result, minority women across the lifespan will elect to know their serostatus, increase their knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention, and gain competencies in cross-generational communication about health in general and sexual health specifically. **

## FY 06 Contractors

***Chambers & Associates (Grand Chain, IL)***
- 	Reaching African American Women
***Center for Health Policy Development, Inc. (San Antonio, TX)***
- 	Reaching Latina Women
***Asian Family Center (Portland, OR)***
- 	Reaching Asian/Pacific Islander Women
***RRP Consulting and Special Projects (Albuquerque, NM)***
- 	Reaching Native American Women Across the Lifespan

## 6. HIV Prevention for Women Living in Puerto-Rico

**Goals: **
**To increase access to care for women living with HIV;**
**To increase knowledge of protective behaviors of HIV infected women; and **
**To reduce isolation of women living with HIV infection.**
**FY06 contractors: **
**Iniciativa Communitaria de Investigacion, Inc., San Juan, PR**
**Puerto Rico Department of Health, San Juan, PR**

## HIV Prevention for Women Living in the U.S. Virgin Islands

**This program provides accurate and comprehensive information on HIV/AIDS prevention and healthy behaviors to maintain both mental and physical good health for women living in the U.S. Virgin Islands. **
**  **
**FY06 contractor: **
**Helping Others in a Positive Environment, Inc. **
**     ****St. Thomas, Virgin Islands **

## 7. In Community Spirit - HIV Prevention for Native/American Indian and Alaskan Native Women Living in Rural and Frontier Program

*	****This program targets prevention education covering the full spectrum of primary and secondary prevention integrating the strengths of traditions, values, culture and spirituality indigenous to the targeted communities. ***

## FY06 Contractors

**Navajo AIDS Network, Chinle, AZ, (OWH Project is implemented in Gallup, NM)**
**The University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD **
**Sault Saint Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Sault, Saint Marie, MI**

## 8. National Women and Girls AIDS Awareness Day

**	**_**March 10, 2006**_** was the inaugural year for this awareness Day. HIV/AIDS Awareness Day which seeks to raise awareness of the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of women and girls. The intent is to raise awareness in all sectors of the U.S. of the increasing burden of HIV disease on U.S. women and girls, particularly, but also on women worldwide. There were over 266 events held throughout the nation and  over 107 million media impressions including radio, television and print media.**
**	**
**	****The theme for March 10, 2007  was "Taking Action to Save Our Lives".  The focus was that women and girls can take action in the fight against HIV/AIDS in a variety of ways such as getting tested for HIV, practicing safe methods to prevent HIV, deciding not to engage in high risk behaviors, talking about HIV prevention with family, friends, and colleagues, empowering oneself and providing support to those living with HIV/AIDS. **

## 9. Prevention and Intervention AIDS-Related Services for Survivors of Domestic Violence

***	******This program addresses female survivors of domestic violence , who are particularly vulnerable to contracting HIV/AIDS , due to the power dynamics in their relationships. It also provides training for DV shelter workers so that the survivors receive competent, compassionate, comprehensive care and management of HIV/AIDS. ***

## Domestic Violence/HIV/AIDS Program Goals

**Integrate messages about the risks of contracting HIV/AIDS in the services  provided to survivors of domestic violence, and,**
**Provide HIV/AIDS related services in a manner that is sensitive to the unique social and emotional challenges of the survivors**

## FY06 Contractors

- DB Consulting Group, Inc., Silver Spring, MD
- The Wright Group, Washington, DC
- Susan B. Spencer, Inc., Windmoor, PA

## 10. Prevention and Intervention AIDS-Related Services for Girls at Risk for Juvenile Delinquency

*	****This program addresses the development of prevention and intervention programs for girls at high risk for juvenile delinquency and potential gang involvement who are at increased risk for STD/HIV infection. ***

## HIV Juvenile Delinquency Goals

- Emphasize skills for building self-esteem and coping with adverse situations
- Engage girls in positive activities thereby contributing to them becoming model citizens
- Increase knowledge of HIV/AIDS/STD risk factors and prevention actions.

## FY06 Contractors

- International Black Women’s Congress Genesis- GIRLS, Norfolk, VA
- The Granto Group, Vienna, VA
- Carter Research Group, Alexandria, VA
*This program was recently awarded additional funds for FY07 to fund at least 10 additional contractors.*

## Thought For Today

- “When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.”
-                                              --Herophilus
- Remember, B-R-R-E-E-A-T-H-H-E, DEEPLY and OFTEN today!

## Contact Information

- _OWH HIV/AIDS Project Officers_
- Mary Bowers, Joanna Short, Aleisha Langhorne
- U.S. DHHS-Office on Women’s Health
- 200 Independence Avenue, SW
- Washington, DC 20021
- 202-690-7650; fax 202-401-4005
- _[www.womanshealth.gov](http://www.womanshealth.gov/)__      _
- 1-800-994-9662