Rupal Sanghvi, MPH¹, Cintia Davalos², Edilzar Castro³, and River Finlay¹. (1) International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region, IPPF/WHR, 120 Wall Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10005, (212) 214-0242, rsanghvi@ippfwhr.org, (2) CIES, Calle Heroes del Acre 1778, Esquina Conchitas, San Pedro, Casilla 9935, La Paz, Bolivia, (3) Asociacion Pro-Bienestar de la Familia de Guatemala, APROFAM, 9a. Calle 0-57, Zona 1, Apartado Postal 1004, Guatemala, Guatemala

Street-kids represent an extremely vulnerable youth population, at the nexus of homelessness, drug-trafficking, sex-trafficking, and violence that increases their risk of poor SRH. Traditional SRH service providers have little experience serving marginalized groups; and the charge to serve them in an effective, appropriate manner implies significant policy, management and systems considerations (training, adjusting IEC materials, defining appropriate client flow and referral systems, and services).

The Guatemala and Bolivia project objectives included expanding: (1) the capacity of the association to serve vulnerable youth and (2) access to SRH services for vulnerable youth. Both models incorporated evaluation: knowledge, attitudes, and practices surveys at baseline and final. Bolivia/CIES implemented interviews with key stakeholders, a client satisfaction survey, an advocacy component, and recommendations for government programs and for transferring the model. CIES conducted outreach, distributing over 4,000 condoms in six months, with 49% of project participants using services. Guatemala/APROFAM conducted a needs assessment, interviewing over 350 street-kids and provided over 5,000 consultations to date. Results from both projects show high levels of SRH knowledge at baseline, but low levels of condom use (13% in Bolivia).

These formative experiences of the APROFAM and CIES lend important lessons to both SRH service providing organizations and policy makers for addressing this group appropriately. Results demonstrate a success predicated upon tailored approaches requiring systems change. Amidst pressing needs, issues of access and disenfranchisement are overarching, and the results of this multi-country project can inform other IPPF MAs and also have relevance to governments and NGOs, globally.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Identify the special policy, management and systems implications for International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF) Member Associations to increase access to SRH services for vulnerable youth.
• 2.Describe key strategies and lessons learned through the Bolivan and Guatemalan IPPF Member Association models of reaching vulnerable populations, including street kids, with SRH services and education.

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Vulnerable Populations

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.