189126 Implementing STD prevention programs: The role of the community

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 9:20 AM

Jo A. Valentine, MSW , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
     
The value of community participation has been well established in public health programs and increasingly public health research involves elements of the participatory action research model. There are multiple levels of community participation which reflect degrees of decision-making power and influence communities exercise in relationship to the institutions that provide public health services. In the United States, epidemics of sexually transmitted diseases disproportionately affect disadvantaged racial and ethnic minority communities. By maximizing participation of affected communities in conducting STD program science research and program implementation, STD prevention programs can increase the accessibility and acceptability of prevention and treatment services by facilitating communications with communities and developing and maintaining health promoting relationships between providers and communities. Also improved collaborative partnerships between STD prevention programs and the affected communities they serve can lead to better sustained prevention services at the community level.

Learning Objectives:
Recognize the role of community participation in providing STD prevention services. Identify key strategies for enhancing community involvement in conducting program science and effectively implementing STD prevention programs. Assess specific examples of improved community participation in the delivery of STD prevention services.

Keywords: STD Prevention, Community Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I serve as the national STD Disparities and Syphilis Elimination Unit Chief in the Division of Sexually Transmitted Disease Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where I have been employed since September 1991. Currently my responsibilities include: coordinating and managing the national syphilis elimination program and the recently launched STD Disparities Reduction Effort. I provide technical assistance and professional training for intervention development and program implementation to serve disadvantaged and under-served populations, and design and conduct qualitative research. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982, and my Master’s Degree in Social Work in 1995 from the Clark Atlanta University School of Social Work.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: All About STD Prevention Programs: The Science; The Integration; The Implementation and The Evaluation
See more of: Epidemiology