Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Comprehensive High-Impact HIV Prevention Programs for Young Men of Color Who Have Sex with Men and Young Transgender Persons of Color - BOOM!Health Project Abstract Summary – Category A Comprehensive High-Impact HIV Prevention Programs for Community-Based Organizations – CDC-RFA-PS22-2202 Outcomes to be achieved by the BOOM!Health HIV Prevention project are: at least 75% served are Black and Latino Bronx YMCSM age 13 to 34; identify undiagnosed HIV+ and high-risk HIV negative (HRN) Bronx YMCSM through targeted outreach and HIV testing; provide HRN with preventive and support services to reduce new infections; provide linkage to care and support services among HIV+ persons to improve health outcomes and reduce HIV transmission; provide newly diagnosed HIV+ persons with linkage to partner services; and increase viral load suppression among HIV+ MSCSM through access to comprehensive medical care and medication adherence support. The project will improve Bronx YMCSM access to services by enhancing and expanding an existing BOOM!Health PS17-1704 HIV prevention program. NYC has more Persons Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWH) than any other area of the United States. 128,419 PLWH reside in NYC, with 31,280 in the Bronx, including 1,654 males age 13-29. Among the five boroughs, the Bronx has the highest rate for new HIV diagnoses with 32.5 per 100,000, and the highest percent of PLWH in the total population with 2.2%, and the lowest viral load suppression (VLS) rate with 79%. With high incidence, high prevalence, and low VLS, the Bronx needs a High Impact Prevention program. The proposed project will continue existing program components that include outreach and education at non-traditional physical locations, rapid HIV/HCV testing, PCC for HRN repeat testers, access to medical care and partner services within 30 days for 100% of persons testing positive, status neutral access to comprehensive onsite and community partner support services for persons testing positive and HRN, PrEP/nPEP linkage, health services navigation, a low-threshold safe space drop-in center, ARTAS Peer Support Medication Adherence individual and group counseling, direct condom distribution, access to syringe exchange, large scale event participation, NYC DHMH HPG participation, and a Youth Advisory Board (YAB). The program will enhance and expand its capacity to meet target population need with new components that include at-home HIV self-testing, evidence-based Social Network Strategy interventions d-up! and PROMISE, onsite STI testing, expanded community organization condom distribution, and an anti-stigma campaign designed and implemented by the YAB and Wellness Center peer program participants. The project is aligned with NYS and NYC policy, and will use EPI surveillance data to support NYC DHMH with cluster response. Project annual objectives include: 630 targeted HIV tests with 8 positives, 200 HCV tests with 5 positives, 200 STI tests with 18 positives, 50 PrEP/nPEP navigation linkages, 45 Peer Support Medication Adherence participants, 8 d-up! Peer Leaders, and 15 PROMISE participants. The project will be aligned with the culture of the population because it has five Peer Leadership components: d-up! PROMISE, Peer Support, Peer Worker, and YAB. BOOM!Health and its parent organization Argus Community are Bronx CBOs that have long been community leaders in the fight against HIV and in the effort to support marginalized populations to achieve health equity. BOOM!Health has sufficient capacity, organizational collaborations, and leveraging to implement all proposed activities and strategies.
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).