This presentation will focus on the findings from an assessment of the care and prevention needs of persons living with HIV (PLWH) in New Hampshire. It will highlight findings related to the HIV prevention challenges facing PLWH and opportunities for health care and social service providers to integrate prevention messages in the care setting.
Data sources included: two consumer focus groups, a consumer survey administered to a diverse group of 123 PLWH and two AIDS service provider focus groups.
Focus groups with PLWH identify the challenges of disclosure in relationships, fear of rejection, reluctance to date, and the potential for engaging in high-risk sex and drug use behaviors. Survey findings substantiate the challenges respondents faced with actually disclosing their HIV status to a new partner and using partner referral services.
Consumer focus groups participants reported turning to their health care providers for information about reducing HIV re-infection and transmission. However, survey findings showed that a large percentage of respondents reported never discussing safer sex, drug use and partner notification with their providers. Gaps for HIV risk reduction programs include social networks for PLWH, short and long term counseling and support groups for self and family.
Survey and focus group findings have implications for program design that ensure the integration of prevention services in the care setting for PLWH. Focus groups with care providers point to institutional and individual challenges to prevention support. Multi-level strategies to address these issues emerged from the needs-assessment findings.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1.recognize key prevention needs of PLWH 2.describe challenges faced by providers integrating prevention into the care setting for PLWH 3.identify strategies for enhancing prevention services for PLWH.
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Needs Assessment
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: none
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.