A mobile HIV education, counseling, and testing unit: a pilot initiative

In May and June, 1989, the Hartford (CT) Health Department piloted a mobile educational unit, the "HIVan," which also included an HIV counseling and testing component. The intent of this initiative was to reach African-American and Latino communities, and intravenous drug users (IVDUs) and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAIDS education and prevention Vol. 2; no. 2; p. 137
Main Author Henrickson, M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 1990
Subjects
AIDS Serodiagnosis
Connecticut
Counseling
Female
Health Education - methods
HIV Infections - diagnosis
HIV Infections - ethnology
HIV Infections - prevention & control
Humans
Male
Mobile Health Units - organization & administration
Pilot Projects
Connecticut
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Summary:In May and June, 1989, the Hartford (CT) Health Department piloted a mobile educational unit, the "HIVan," which also included an HIV counseling and testing component. The intent of this initiative was to reach African-American and Latino communities, and intravenous drug users (IVDUs) and sex workers, all communities at demonstrated risk for HIV infection in Hartford. Results indicate a high degree of success in reaching the targeted communities with the HIVan with HIV counseling and testing: 95.2% of the HIVan clients were African-American or Latino, 59.2% were IVDUs. Of 79 persons tested on the HIVan seroprevalence was 26.5%, almost five times that of the primary clinic site. Return for posttest counseling and results is currently low (20.2%), but will be monitored over time, as the rate of return for results increases over time. A recommendation is made to find and implement similar mobile initiatives in communities where at-risk persons are reluctant to enter a clinical setting.
ISSN:0899-9546
1943-2755