HIV/AIDS Program
Community Summit - December 2000: Summary
Summit recommendations and action identified to date (3/19/01)
Clinic Services Recommendations:
| 1. |
Develop and disseminate STD screening guidelines to providers and clients. |
| 2. |
Identify and select appropriate clinic services based on qualitative community data. |
| 3. |
Implement new approaches to service delivery with community input. |
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Action Steps: (Specifics of how and steps already begun) |
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a. |
Gather formative data on GBM to assist in clinical and educational services development. (CDC will assist in this effort in mid-March 2001 through a rapid ethnographic assessment of syphilis in GBM). |
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b. |
Clarify behavioral risks for transgendered persons (literature already reviewed) |
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c. |
Update STD/HIV Screening and Treatment Guidelines for Providers, including risk reduction guidelines (These guidelines are nearly complete.) |
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d. |
Assess and market Seattle Gay Clinic services |
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e. |
Advocate for better training for medical students (through UW's Introduction to Clinical Medicine Course leadership) |
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f. |
Advocate for better training for providers (through UW's Center for Health Education & Research [AIDS Education & Training Center]) |
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g. |
Investigate new partner management approaches at Public Health sites (Study being initiated at STD clinic, and in HIV Epidemiology Section, with CDC support) |
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h. |
Expand substance abuse and mental health services for GBM (through ongoing public health advocacy on this issue for the general population and the proposed Prevention Coalition [see below]) |
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i. |
Increase clinic services in bathhouse settings. With the merger of the HIV/AIDS & STD Clinical Teams, disease intervention specialist services can be moved from less productive sites. |
Emotional Health & Substance Abuse:
| 1. |
Develop new and/or revamp HIV prevention and care programs serving GBM, with emphases on emotional health, depression and chemical dependency issues. Programs should be community driven, with Public Health as an active partner/catalyst. |
| 2. |
Identify collaborative partners to help fund programs. Local bars, chat lines, circuit party promoters, and national alcohol companies should be involved. |
| 3. |
Convene a community coalition to focus on integration of emotional health and substance use into HIV prevention and care programs. |
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Action Steps: (Specifics of how and steps already begun) |
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a. |
Establish broad based GBM HIV/STD prevention coalition to standardize educational messages, examine and disseminate community norms, develop emotional health resources and develop fundraising strategies. Create emotional health and substance use sub-committee. (Public Health will seek resources to assure strong coordination of this coalition.) |
Bathhouse & Public Sex Environment:
| 1. |
Expand current bathhouse coalition to include other public sex venues and bar owners. Coalition must develop a common prevention agenda and recommend specific prevention programs to implement. |
| 2. |
Increase funding to expand prevention services to include more education, greater outreach, and a more comprehensive array of prevention services. |
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Action Steps: (Specifics of how and steps already begun) |
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a. |
Augment existing bathhouse coalition to include more public sex venues, bars and community agencies. (resources identified above will help facilitate this work.) |
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b. |
Gather formative data on GBM to assist in clinic and education services development. (Will seek some of these data through the CDC rapid assessment to begin in March, 2001) |
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c. |
Increase clinic services in PSV's settings by identifying new funds and redirecting current resources. (Staff stationed at clinical sites that currently yield low numbers of new HIV+ cases can be re-positioned.) |
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d. |
Augment PSV's educational programs and increase availability of condoms and lubricants. (Effort lead by community partner agencies to assure adequate supplies of condoms in high-risk settings.) |
Community Leadership and Media:
| 1. |
Target positive (and negative) men with messages around the importance of disclosing one's HIV status. |
| 2. |
Coordinate messages across agencies, so that each agency addresses its target population with a consistent message. |
| 3. |
Acknowledge that GBM use a "risk calculus" to make decisions about risk behaviors, and identify the likely variables and weights in the formula. |
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Action Steps: (Specifics of how and steps already begun) |
|
a. |
Gather formative data on GBM to assist in clinic and education services development. (See CDC rapid ethnographic assessment effort to start in March 2001, above). |
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b. |
Establish broad based GBM HIV/STD prevention coalition to standardize educational messages, examine and disseminate community norms, develop emotional health resources and develop fundraising strategies. Establish prevention message subcommittee. (See above.) |
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c. |
Develop educational campaigns and programs designed to help establish new community norms, and reduce misinformation about HIV transmission and disease. |
Effective Resource Development:
| 1. |
Protect and maintain current HIV/AIDS funding, and review and realign current programs with evidence-based practices. |
| 2. |
Convene a broad-based coalition to develop a funding proposal to local government. |
| 3. |
Work to assure the use of HIV care resources to target HIV positive men with prevention messages. |
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Action Steps: (Specifics of how and steps already begun) |
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a. |
Establish broad based GBM HIV/STD prevention coalition to standardize educational messages, examine and disseminate community norms, develop emotional health resources and develop fundraising strategies. Establish resource development subcommittee. (See coalition called for under Emotional Health and Substance Abuse Recommendation #3 above.) |
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b. |
Develop written materials designed to increase fundraising. |
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related links:
 The Hep Squad
The Hep Squad is a program of Public Health-Seattle & King County educating gay & bisexual men about hepatitis A & B since 1999.
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 Health issues affecting gay and bisexual men in King County
Gay and bisexual men may have specific health concerns, such as an increased risk of hate crimes and sexually transmitted diseases beyond that of men who identify as being straight.
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 HIV/AIDS Quarterly Statistical Reports. Reports about HIV prevention or HIV care services and articles from the Seattle-based adult and pediatric HIV/AIDS clinical trials units and the HIV Vaccine Evaluation Unit. |
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