Recent research has highlighted the significant success the harm reduction approach has had in reducing death and disease from opioid use, however these programs often rest on assumptions of access to treatment for infectious diseases, mental health conditions, and basic primary care services that are often not accessible to individuals who use drugs. Access is limited by stigma, transportation issues, complexity of health conditions, and many other barriers, and this life saving treatment is often unavailable to the most vulnerable individuals.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 interactive session will explore a novel, community-anchored model developed by the Midwest D-CFAR Scientific Working Group to engage historically underrepresented populations in HIV research and service delivery—specifically Black-led organizations, rural communities, individuals impacted by homelessness, harm reduction practitioners, and direct service providers.
Beyond the Red Ribbon will allow participants to reimagine HIV/STI prevention and service provision through a sex positive lens. Attendees will develop an understanding of sex positivity and examine the necessity for incorporating an individualized, person-centered approach to sexual health. This presentation aims to enhance service providers’ ability to engage clients/patients in topics such as sexual behavior and expression, non-traditional relationship structures (e.g., polyamory, swinging, and other forms of non-monogamy), and self-care, along with HIV/STI prevention and treatment.
Congenital syphilis is a completely preventable condition that imposes a significant clinical and financial burden on our current strained healthcare system. In response to rising infection rates in Miami-Dade County, Homestead Hospital (HH) implemented an innovative, Electronic Health Record-integrated Syphilis Screening Algorithm in 2019, embedded within its existing routine HIV and Hepatitis C testing infrastructure.
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.
