Cooperative Agreement NU62PS924684

HIV PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN (MSM) - AID ATLANTA PROPOSES TO PROVIDE HIV PREVENTION, HIV MEDICAL, AND ESSENTIAL SUPPORT SERVICES TO THE TARGET POPULATION OF MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN ( MSM) OF ALL RACES AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE BLACK GAY AND MSM COMMUNITY WHO MAKE UP MORE THAN HALF OF ALL U.S. HIV INFECTIONS. THE HIV INCIDENCE CONTINUES TO BE HIGHEST AMONG GAY MEN AND MSM WITH A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF HIV INFECTION RATES OCCURRING IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF THE UNITED STATES. DESPITE THE WIDESPREAD OF HIV EDUCATION AND INFORMATIONAL SERVICES, ACCESS TO PREVENTION SERVICES SUCH AS HIV TESTING, CONDOMS AND PREP( PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS), THIS TARGET POPULATION CONTINUES TO SEE INCREASES OF HIV INFECTION WITHIN ITS COMMUNITY OF PEERS AS OPPOSED TO WHITE MSM WHO ARE EQUAL IN ACCESSING HIV PREVENTIONS SERVICES BUT HAVE A LOWER HIV INCIDENCE AND TRANSMISSION RATE THAN MSM OF COLOR. AS ONE OF THE FIRST ENTITIES TO RESPOND TO THE AIDS EPIDEMIC IN THE SOUTHEAST, AID ATLANTA, FOUNDED IN 1982, HAS DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN PROVIDING HIV PREVENTION, HIV MEDICAL CARE, PHARMACEUTICAL CARE, CASE MANAGEMENT AND OTHER ESSENTIAL SERVICES. THROUGH THE ACQUIRED WISDOM OF OUR FRONT-LINE STAFF, COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, OUR CLIENTS, AID ATLANTA HAS LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNIZING WHEN TRADITIONAL IDEAS AND STRATEGIES THAT ONCE WORKED MAY NEED TO BE REVISED OR RELINQUISHED. WITH THE USE OF HIV SURVEILLANCE DATA, SCIENCE, AND INNOVATIVE DISRUPTION, THE HIV INCIDENCE RATE AMONG THIS TARGET POPULATION CAN DECREASE. AID ATLANTA PROPOSES TO USE A COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT THAT INTEGRATES CLINICAL ENGAGEMENT (INCREASED HIV TESTING, LINKAGE TO PREVENTION CARE(PREP) AND HIV MEDICAL CARE(TASP) WITH COMMUNITY IMPACT (STRONGER SOCIAL NETWORKS, PEER SUPPORT FROM INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH HIV, SELF-ADVOCACY) AS SYMBIOTIC APPROACHES THAT DEPEND ON EACH OTHER FOR OPTIMAL SUCCESS. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH WORKING WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS HAS PROVIDED AI D ATLANTA CRITICAL LESSONS ABOUT THE EFFECT THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HAS ON HIV PREVENTION AMONG TARGET POPULATIONS. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ENGAGEMENT IN HIV PREVENTION CARE OR HIV MEDICAL CARE, AID ATLANTA RELIES HEAVILY UPON COMMUNITY BUILDING, SOCIAL BONDING, TRUST BUILDING, FORMAL COLLABORATIONS, COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, INNOVATIVE EDUCATION METHODS AND THE PROVISION OF KEY SERVICES TO FIT THE POPULATION IN NEED. AID ATLANTA WILL CONTINUE TO USE THOSE PROVEN STRATEGIES TO REACH THE TARGET POPULATION AND ASSIST THEM WITH GETTING THE APPROPRIATE SOCIO ECONOMIC AND MEDICAL CARE TO REDUCE THE HIV INFECTION RATE AMONG THEM. AID ATLANTA HAS DEVELOPED A COMPREHENSIVE WORK PLAN THAT INCLUDES:?FORMAL COLLABORATIONS ( AID ATLANTA WILL SUBCONTRACT WITH THRIVESS, INC., A SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORK ORGANIZATION THAT EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE TO ENGAGEMENT AND CONNECTIVITY AMONG PEERS WHO ARE LIVING WITH HIV.)?TARGETED HIV TESTING THROUGH OUTREACH, PROMOTION, AND RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES?HIV INTERVENTION AND ESSENTIAL SUPPORT FOR HIV POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS?HIV PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION SUPPORT FOR HIV NEGATIVE INDIVIDUALS?CONDOM DISTRIBUTION