Mobilizing health promotion for under-served women

OBJECTIVES: Research indicates that women with a history of domestic abuse often face increased risk of contracting HIV and experience multiple barriers accessing basic health care. This pilot program was designed to offer HIV education and testing services directly to women residing in domestic abuse shelters, in collaboration with a college of public health, a nonprofit community health clinic, an AIDS Service Organization (ASO), and the domestic abuse shelter. METHODS: A university-community partnership developed a tailored HIV education program based on the results of a mixed-methods needs assessment at the two shelter sites. The ASO contributed existing infrastructure to perform rapid HIV testing and provide individualized risk reduction counseling. The community health clinic provided its mobile unit and volunteers to deliver the education program and HIV testing to the shelter sites. RESULTS: From June 2011 to present, the partnership conducted and analyzed 5 focus groups; created, fielded, and analyzed a self-administered questionnaire; developed a 5-module women's health curriculum; provided 10 education sessions at the two shelters; and tested one-third of the targeted 100 women. The program is currently funded through summer 2012. In addition, the women at the shelters have expressed strong interest in receiving other well-woman health services via a mobile clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Demonstrated successes include the receptivity of the shelter residents to both the on-site education services and on-site HIV testing, and the partnership's receipt of funding for continued implementation. A second round of health education is currently being delivered along with continued HIV counseling and testing.