Oral

This session will explore how the differences that society has created for males and females impact risk for HIV, and that by overlooking this impact, prevention programming may actually be perpetuating gender inequity. Gender is a socially-constructed concept that refers to shared expectations regarding what are deemed appropriate behaviors for males and females in a given culture; this concept varies from the definition of sex which is the biological differences between males and females. Public health practitioners often overlook, or oversimplify the impact of difference on program planning and program outcomes. Practitioners should seek to understand the role that gender plays in the lives of their communities/priority populations, then use that information to develop, implement, and evaluation programs. The level of gender integration can vary from discussing the role that gender plays in the disease vulnerability of community members, to actively challenging the norms that create this vulnerability. It is the hope that by the end of this workshop, participants will see that public health programs that address gender and gender norms will produce more positive health outcomes than those that do not. This session will be presented by staff from the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center and JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc., both of whom are funded capacity building assistance providers through the Office on Women’s Health,and have been assisting agencies to conceptualize gender responsiveness, assess programs and staff levels of competency, and construct strategies to integrate genderinto programming.

Session Objectives: Define the difference between sex and gender Explain the social construction of gender Explain how gender norms impact HIV risk behaviors Define gender responsive programming Explain the value of an increased focus on gender specific initiatives in HIV/AIDS

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)