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[ Recorded presentation ] Recorded presentation

Creating a supportive environment to prevent the vertical transmission of HIV

Ardene Robinson Vollman, RN PhD, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, 3955 Edenstone Road NW, Calgary, AB T3A 3Z7, Canada, (403) 239-3180, avollman@shaw.ca and Jeanne M. Sargent, RN MN, Calgary Health Region, Grace Women's Health Centre, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.

Approximately 10 pregnant women per year are reported to be HIV positive in the Calgary Health Region; however, less than one third of these are diagnosed during prenatal screening. Two-thirds of this group have had very late or no prenatal care where screening would be conducted. Finding out that she is HIV positive late in her pregnancy or at delivery can cause emotional and physical stress to the mother and also risks the health of the infant because of the risk of transmission of the virus through delivery and breastfeeding. Early pharmaceutical intervention can significantly reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission. This presentation will describe the evaluation findings of an Alberta Health and Wellness funded project that offered comprehensive reproductive and perinatal care to HIV positive women through policy change, intersectoral collaboration, training for community and professional care providers, and outreach and advocate services. The project logic model will be presented and project level findings will be discussed under the key topics of resources, training care providers for care of women living with HIV, coordinated referral system based on an algorithm for care, special services, and coach-advocate services. Lessons learned throughout the project (process evaluation) will be detailed along with the summative results.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Women and HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

[ Recorded presentation ] Recorded presentation

Outside of the Box

The 132nd Annual Meeting (November 6-10, 2004) of APHA