287649
Customizing a cross-community response plan to address the increase in syphilis among men who have sex with men: Houston Texas
The outbreak of early syphilis in Houston/Harris County among MSM is directly related to the increased use of internet dating sites to meet anonymous sexual partners. As a result, the Houston Department of Health and Human Services was challenged to mount an appropriate outbreak response effort that could effectively address the rapid mode of disease transmission through the use of internet and social media among the MSM which historically does not seek health care through traditional public health system in Houston.
The Houston STD Program implemented its existing Syphilis Outbreak Response Plan,a nationally recognized model for cross-community collaboration activities, and customized key components area of the response plan including surveillance, clinical and laboratory services; disease intervention and enhanced media activities and integrated into the response plan, collaborative activities conducted by community medical providers, service agencies and community based organizations that provide services to the MSM community. The Health Department and community partners reached out to the MSM community and enable the community to directly impact disease intervention activities through the Syphilis Outbreak Response community mobilization component.
Learning Areas:
Clinical medicine applied in public healthImplementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Program planning
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Learning Objectives:
Describe the components of a community-based, public health response plan and how public health agencies, community partnership agencies and affected community collaborate to improve disease intervention outcomes.
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have served as the Program Manager of the Houston STD Prevention Program for seven years and in this role I have been responsible for executing STD and HIV prevention programmatic activities supported by both federally and locally funded grants. I have directed the development of programmatic protocols for innovative disease intervention initiatives and guidelines for the quality management and development of personnel support staff.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.