The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #67834

Perdietha Rogers¹, Patricia Doyle, MSW¹, Roberta Glaros, MA¹, Guthrie Birkhead, MD, MPH¹, and Donna Parisi². (1) AIDS Institute, New York State Department of Health, Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower Building, Room 459, Albany, NY 12237, 518-473-8427, pdr01@health.state.ny.us, (2) OPER, New York State Department of Health, AIDS Institute, 150 Broadway, Menands, NY 12237

Issue: Marginalized women do not traditionally seek medical care during pregnancy and their newborns are at risk of HIV infection. The barriers to care include the need for adequate housing, drug treatment, and routine health care. Public health programs targeting such women require multi-faceted approaches.

Project: Community engagement strategies were used as a foundation for the Community Action for Prenatal Care Initiative (CAPC). Target areas were identified and agencies selected to implement a comprehensive recruitment strategy and the creation of a service network to meet the needs of the women recruited into care.

Recruitment efforts consist of:

* enhanced outreach including navigation into care; * a comprehensive social marketing campaign; * a hotline which offers 24/7 access to telecounselors; · referrals from agencies serving high-risk women in the community.

Results: From January, 2002-September, 2002, 633 high-risk women were enrolled in CAPC; 61 percent were pregnant or suspected pregnancy. Twenty-six percent of the women were recruited through the social marketing campaign, 28 percent through direct outreach, 28 percent through agency referral, and 18 percent through other methods. Due to time lags, birth outcomes are currently known for only 95 delivering CAPC women. Of these, 2 were HIV-positive, but did not transmit HIV to their infants. Eighty-eight percent of the women had infants with normal birth weights (>2500 grams). Five percent had infants with very low birth weights (<1500 grams), and another 7 percent had infants with low birth weights (1500-2499 grams).

Lesson Learned: · Multi-faceted approaches are labor and resource intensive.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees to this poster session will be able to:
• Identify the need for organizational buy-in from all involved for a successful multi-faceted approach.
• Recognize that an effective social marketing campaign requires target audience involvment.
• Analyze current outreach approaches and understand that reaching marginalized women involves specialized and innovative methods.
• Describe the various components of the enhanced outreach model for pregant women who are at risk for HIV and who have multiple issues.

Keywords: Outreach Programs, Women and HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.