Sunday, November 24, 2024
11/24/2024
The Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS (SWC) will implement a comprehensive high-impact HIV prevention program in Maricopa County, Arizona targeted toward Hispanic/Latino Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) ages 13-49, a population disproportionately affected by Arizona’s HIV epidemic. SWC will subcontract with one-n-ten, an organization that serves LGBTQ+ youth, to supplement SWC’s services and reach individuals under age 18. This project will help individuals at all stages of the HIV care continuum. SWC’s PS21-2102 program will diagnose new HIV infections; treat HIV quickly and effectively; prevent new HIV cases; and respond quickly to emerging HIV clusters. These efforts will help the US Department of Health and Human Services reach its goal of reducing new HIV infections by 75% in 5 years and by 90% by 2030. The project will address the national HIV epidemic by reducing new infections, increasing access to care, and promoting health equity for persons living with HIV or at risk of HIV infection. The purpose of this project is to improve long term health outcomes for Arizonans vulnerable to HIV infection and upset the status quo of the HIV epidemic through high impact HIV prevention activities, including: providing HIV testing to community members using clinical, drive thru, outreach, and mail order strategies; linking individuals to SWC’s clinicians for HIV medical care, PrEP, and nPEP using Rapid Start protocols that connect clients to providers as quickly as possible; navigating clients to essential support services that help them achieve viral suppression or adhere to PrEP; operating a safe space where individuals can build community and engage in HIV prevention programming; participating in outreach and condom distribution events throughout Maricopa County; and building partnerships with community organizations and health infrastructure, including the Arizona Department of Health Services, Ryan White Part A, and the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. By the end of the project on June 30, 2026, SWC will have achieved the following outcomes: (1) increased the number of persons who know their HIV status by conducting 9,000 HIV tests and identifying 90 newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals (1%); (2) increased the number of individuals receiving integrated screening by conducting 6,300 HIV tests (70%) in which the client is provided screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia), viral hepatitis, and/or TB; (3) increased receipt of HIV medical care and antiretroviral therapy (ART) among persons newly diagnosed with HIV by linking 81 newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals (90%) to medical care within 30 days of diagnosis; (4) increased receipt of HIV medical care and ART among persons previously diagnosed with HIV by identifying 20 previously diagnosed, not-in-care, HIV-positive individuals and re-engaging 18 (90%) of them in medical care within 30 days; (5) increased access to Partner Services by referring 90 newly and 20 previously diagnosed HIV-positive individuals (100%) to Partner Services; (6) increased access to PrEP by referring 6,712 (75%) of those with HIV-negative test results to PrEP navigation services; and (7) increased availability of condoms by distributing 250,000 condoms and ensuring all program participants are offered them. SWC will employ innovative strategies and techniques to achieve these outcomes and will continuously adapt the program to respond to the needs of the target population.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
