The schedule presented here is subject to change as the agenda is finalized.
This schedule is preliminary and subject to change.
This presentation provides an update on federal reproductive healthcare and access litigation and policy, and highlights strategies for systems change, including policy reforms, advocacy, research, collaboration, and capacity-building to address the implications of unequal access to sex education.
Understanding how BMSM, who represent less than 1% of the U.S. population, but account for over one-third of new HIV infections annually, practice seroadaptation can inform new interventions to improve their engagement in HIV services. To this end, we conducted a qualitative study (called the “PhotoUStudy”), which was guided by a conceptual model, the BMSM Intersectional Identity Framework Over the Life Course (BMSM Identity Framework). Thirty-six BMSM who lived in/accessed health services in Washington, D.C., aged 18-65, were recruited into a five-day photovoice activity and follow-up interview.
Participants will learn “how-to” techniques for initiating and guiding conversations about sexual history through a lens of prevention, risk reduction, and patient-centered care. The presentation will emphasize creating a safe, respectful, and non-judgmental environment that encourages patients to ask questions and engage openly. Special attention will be given to the unique challenges faced in rural communities, where stigma, limited resources, and lack of formal education can further inhibit discussions about sexual health.
Evidence shows there are gaps in clinicians’ skills in providing comprehensive sexual health care across diverse populations. Simulation in clinical training has emerged as an effective pedagogy to facilitate student learning of knowledge, skills, and attitudes on a variety of healthcare topics. Faculty at the University of Rochester School of Nursing developed a sexual health simulation for three graduate nurse practitioner (NP) programs (Adult-Gerontology, Family, and Pediatric Primary Care).
This session will explore what it means to communicate with a sex positive lens with older adults living with HIV, with particular attention to language, imagery, and a cross-generational understanding of sexuality. We will then apply those skills and develop some ideas for outreach and communication geared towards the priority population of the attendees.
Holy Cross Health in Broward County, Florida, has developed a comprehensive, community-embedded care model that integrates HIV treatment with aging services, behavioral health, and chronic disease management. This peer- and community health worker–led, equity-focused approach is designed to address disparities among LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, and those experiencing economic hardship. The model emphasizes cultural humility, trauma-informed care, and whole-person wellness. This session will explore how this integrated framework improves outcomes and offers a scalable solution for reimagining HIV care for aging LGBTQ+ populations.
This presentation will highlight how to build a successful HIV testing program in the community. These are not abstract methods, but concrete steps to provide a clear plan on creating an HIV testing program that will ensure more people will have access to free, rapid testing.
This presentation will discuss the opportunities for implementing linkage to comprehensive services by assessing populations who are seen in the ED testing for STIs, including syphilis and HIV. We will explore the operations of identifying eligible patients, including our collaborations with the public health department, our Infectious Disease Clinic, and our Title V Clinic. We will highlight what is going well and discuss areas of improvement.
This presentation will also review the successes and challenges of launching a rapid PrEP program in an ED setting.
In 2006, the CDC shared revised guidance recommending HIV testing be provided to individuals 13-64 years of age, regardless of risk, in all health-care settings unless patients opt out of the service. This approach, known as Routine Opt-Out HIV Testing (ROOT), is key in identifying persons with undiagnosed HIV, persons previously testing positive but not engaged in HIV care or virally suppressed, and persons testing negative that could be referred to preventative services.
As part of the Hillsborough Health Equity Plan, a formative research initiative was conducted to increase the uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black and Latinx men who have sex with men (MSM) aged 25–34 in Hillsborough County, Florida. The study explored patient and provider experiences within on-demand care settings, such as urgent care clinics and emergency departments (EDs), where opportunities for PrEP intervention are often missed.
In collaboration with Columbia Psychiatry and New York Public Library, the community mental health project was created to address the impact of mental health on the Black and Afro-Latino communities in NYC, especially during and right after the COVID-19 pandemic. The intervention aims to engage the community in discussion around mental health and thus minimize stigma and advocate for innovative strategies to increase the utilization of mental health services within the community.
The employment landscape for PLWH in the Hartford Transitional Grant Area (TGA) presents significant challenges. According to the 2022 Statewide Needs Assessment Survey, 54.46% of PLWH were unemployed, with 59.46% unemployment within the TGA. Among respondents, 78% of individuals over 50 lacked access to career and life skills training, limiting their ability to secure stable, fulfilling employment.
This session will provide an overview of how Deaf Community Advocacy Network (Deaf C.A.N.!) Deaf HIV Program addresses the unique challenges of PWLH who are Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard of Hearing navigating Ryan White Services. Through provider assessments and cultural competency training, client assessments and workshops to improve health literacy on HIV prevention and HIV treatment, and workshops for interpreters to increase their understanding of ever growing HIV terminology such as viral load suppression and U=U, Deaf C.A.N.! has expanded their case management services from 7 counties in the Detroit Metropolitan Area to the entire state of Michigan, increased partnerships, and improved client satisfaction
The purpose of this study is to address the health inequities among key populations living with HIV through a community-based participatory research (CBPR) mixed-methods study designed to adapt and pilot-test STEPS to Care (StC), a CDC-endorsed evidence-based intervention. This intervention consists of three person-centered, evidence-informed strategies to improve retention in HIV care, adherence to antiretroviral therapies, and reduce viral load, which include: Patient Navigation, Care Team Coordination, and HIV Self-Management.
In the US and globally, there have been two secular events exogenous to the HCV epidemic that has impacted HCV negatively. The first is well documented with the accompanying rise in the Opioid epidemic resulting in the uptick in HCV infections particularly among the population younger than the baby boomer generation. The second is the advent of COVID-19 that caused disruptions in testing, linkage and treatment of people living with Hepatitis C. We showcase the impact COVID 19 had on our testing program in Alabama.
This study aims to assess the follow-up eligibility of individuals with HCV presumed LTFU. Pre-contact investigation (PCI) to assess ineligibility, including due to death or outdated contact information, was encouraged. Data came from the patient registries of 23 of 30 grant-funded organizations in different clinical, community and geographical settings. Data sources included patient, state, prison, and public records.
This presentation traces the Ohio FOCUS HIV/HCV Partnership evolution, from early setbacks and outdated policies to transformative progress made possible through adaptive strategies, including the integration of a mobile testing model in partnership with Central Outreach Wellness Center. The model brought walk-in, judgment-free care directly to those most at risk, helping remove barriers to treatment. Additional partners, such as Ohio University, enhanced capacity through data coordination and evaluation.
The Target4 project partners with the University of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Care Clinic to integrate Hepatitis C telehealth services into syringe services programs throughout the commonwealth to address access barriers, improve treatment outcomes, and progress Hepatitis C elimination efforts in the Commonwealth. This presentation will discuss the process used to integrate telehealth services into the harm reduction environment in partnership with the local health departments, and share outcomes, successes, and lessons learned along the way.
This presentation will explore the process and findings of this landscape analysis, sharing some key case study videos and highlighting the various creative ways that programs have integrated MAT treatment into existing models even if they do not have a prescribing provider onsite. Participants will become familiarized with the meaning and significance of low barriers services in an MAT setting, and will discuss various ways that MAT programs have been successful in preventing overdose and improving the overall health and wellness of their clients through provision of MAT.
The opioid and stimulant epidemics continue to pose major public health challenges in the U.S., claiming over 107,500 lives in 2023 despite a slight 3% decline in overdose deaths—the first decrease since 2018 (CDC). This evolving crisis requires close collaboration between physicians and law enforcement to continue to decrease and cease these preventable deaths.
This session dives into how a Syringe Exchange Program in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, tackled the alarming reality of drug overdoses not decreasing locally, despite what the CDC and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reports on national trends. In our community, we faced significant challenges with the government’s data collection, which only takes into consideration 911 calls, EMS and Police reports for data collection.
This conversation centers harm reduction not as a checklist, but as a justice-rooted framework, a commitment to dignity, autonomy, and survival in a world that often withholds those things. We’ll explore how harm is exacerbated by systems of criminalization, medical neglect, stigma, and control, especially for people who use drugs, sell sex, live with chronic illness, or navigate poverty, racism, and ableism. We’ll interrogate how harm reduction gets watered down, co-opted, or professionalized into meaninglessness, and what it means to reclaim it as a radical, liberatory practice.
In April 2024, San Diego County launched its Harm Reduction Services Program (HRSP), the region’s first government-run syringe service initiative. Designed to address the intersecting crises of overdose, HIV, and hepatitis C among people who use drugs, HRSP operates through a mobile delivery model, providing low-barrier, stigma-free services in underserved communities identified through a comprehensive Community Readiness Assessment.
This session includes an overview of LGBTQ+ reproductive health disparities, systemic barriers faced by LGBTQ+ clients navigating reproductive health services, and actionable steps organizations and providers can take to provide affirming, inclusive care.
This conference is supported, in part, by independent educational grants from ineligible companies. A full list of supporters is available here. All accredited content has been developed and delivered in accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence and the criteria of Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education™, and is free of commercial bias.