272091 “Health Screenings for Life”: Comprehensive health screenings as a means of decreasing stigma associated with HIV testing

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 1:42 PM - 1:46 PM

Autumn Austin, MPH , Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
Katherine Harripersaud, MPH , Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
Preston Garnes , Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
Lawrence Almanzar , Master of Public Health Program, New York University, New York, NY
Alexis Rivera, MPH , Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
Natalie Crawford, PhD , Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Crystal Fuller, PhD, MPH , Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
A 10-minute Healthy Lifestyle video was developed as a part of a pharmacy-based pilot intervention aimed at increasing uptake of HIV testing in high HIV prevalent neighborhoods in NYC. The intervention entailed viewing the Healthy Lifestyle video and provision of rapid HIV testing services packaged with other preventive screening services including blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol. The purpose of the intervention was to reduce HIV testing-related stigma among injection drug users (IDUs), their peers, and others residing in the target community. The study was conducted in a pharmacy setting given their increased accessibility to high-risk populations including multiple locations, long hours of operation, and their recent expanded role into public health activities (e.g., vaccinations, prevention screenings, and participation in non-prescription syringe access programs for IDUs). The educational video focused on the importance of prevention screenings including HIV testing to improve overall health. Scenarios were developed using characters based on our target population and focused on promoting HIV testing and knowing one's HIV status alongside the importance of being aware of hypertensive, diabetic, and hypercholesterolemic status. Real-life HIV-positive and chronic disease advocates were also portrayed to increase relevance and normalization of these health concerns. Efforts were taken to ensure the message was translatable to low literacy populations and filmed in both English and Spanish. The video plot and script were reviewed by community advisors, and professional and academic stakeholders including researchers, pharmacists, community-based organization representatives, community leaders, NYS Department of Health professionals, and physicians who had substantial experience working with IDUs and/or HIV positive populations. The video was also pilot tested in a focus group composed of members from our target population. Data evaluating the potential impact of the video revealed that among those who had HIV-related stigmatizing attitudes prior to viewing, 51.5% reported a decrease in stigmatizing attitudes after viewing.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
By the end of the video, participants will be able to: Identify HIV testing as part of their health screenings routine Discuss HIV risk behaviors and unhealthy habits with their medical provider in order to establish healthy lifestyles

Keywords: Access to Health Care, HIV/AIDS

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I work as the project director for Crystal Fuller PhD's many research projects. She is the principal or co-principal investigator of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the epidemiology of injection drug abuse and HIV prevention and treatment. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies for increasing HIV testing uptake and risk behavior awareness in injection drug users utilizing pharmacies as a venue.
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.

Back to: 4215.0: US Film Festival Session 2