2009 HIV Testing & Prevention Project Fact Sheet

Program Description

Target

The HIV Testing and Prevention Project targets family planning clients at the John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital Fantus Health Center Title X Family Planning Program. Nearly 7,000 women in Illinois are currently known to be living with HIV and/or AIDS. Many hundreds of other women are probably living with HIV even though they are unaware of their own infection. HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacts African-American women in Illinois and the United States. Roughly 68 percent of Illinois women living with HIV are African American, while African Americans only make up 15 percent of the Illinois population. This program serves nine surrounding Chicago community areas; including Austin, West Garfield, Near Westside, South Lawndale, Englewood, Humboldt Park, North Lawndale and West Englewood. The percentage of non-Hispanic Blacks living in the clinic service area is high. Over 99 percent of the clinic clients served in SFY09 fall below the federal poverty level. Nearly 80 percent of the family planning clients are African Americans.

Purpose

The HIV Testing and Prevention Project provides rapid HIV testing to clients at the family planning clinic. This project enabled implementation of universal testing when the Illinois law was adopted in July 2008.

Services

All family planning clients receive assessment of HIV risk behaviors, education about HIV infection and how it can be prevented. Clients are offered a rapid HIV test, post-test counseling and referral to treatment services at the Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center if necessary.

Delivery Method

Prevention education includes the ABC approach to educate women to decrease their exposure to HIV. ABC has been redefined to include:

1. extramarital abstinence and delaying first sex,
2. being faithful in marital or committed relationships and reducing the number of sexual partners and
3. correct and consistent use of condoms. Rapid HIV testing is offered to every family planning client at the beginning of the clinic visit, the test is performed and the results with post-test counseling are available by the end of the visit.

Treatment services are available within the Bureau of Health Services of Cook County.

Program Data

	SFY08	SFY09
Program Expenditure (Numbers in 000's)	$67,735	$92,328
Number Served	546	1,190

Program Effectiveness

• Since this project received federal funding in October of 2007 the three women diagnosed as positive for HIV were referred to the Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center for follow-up care.
• The initiation of rapid HIV testing during SFY09 ensures clients will receive their test results during the clinic visit.

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