HIV, STI, Hepatitis, and Harm Reduction Digest
May 22, 2024
Check us out at NACCHO360!
Communication and Marketing Best Practices and Lessons Learned from Local Harm Reduction Programs
Interested in harm reduction communications and marketing? You don’t want to miss this session!
Harm reduction is a highly stigmatized public health intervention, despite strong evidence that harm reduction programs improve the health of drug users and their communities. Join as harm reductionists and communication experts share strategies for bolstering support for harm reduction in some of the most stigmatized and legally precarious communities.
Register for NACCHO360 here!
NACCHO News and Announcements
NEW! CT/GC Test-to-Treat Toolkit for Community Pharmacists
With support from NACCHO, the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Allegheny County Health Department, and Hilltop Pharmacy have co-developed a toolkit dedicated to Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Test-to-Treat Resources for Community Pharmacists. In a NACCHO-funded pilot program, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania expanded testing and treatment access points for STIs through community pharmacies. The program successfully increased flexibility and convenience of services and addressed patient concerns such as privacy and after-hour access to care. The toolkit offers ready-to-use resources for pharmacy partnerships including:
- Example testing standing orders and treatment standing orders from the Allegheny County pilot.
- Sample STI treatment intake form used by the community pharmacy to capture your program. Remember to consult the pharmacy and physician scope of practice laws for your state.
- Patient education materials including medication education handouts with patient-friendly language, QR code and PDF versions of resources for added privacy, and a text service to help patients anonymously notify their partner.
- A list of medications and supplies needed to administer treatment for gonorrhea and chlamydia that can be adapted to make a unique pharmacy supply list.
As a reminder, other pharmacy related resources and trainings that STI programs and partners can tap into include the:
- National Alliance of State Pharmacists Associations website dedicated to the Pharmacists Role in STI Prevention and Treatment that provides policy information about areas where pharmacists can contribute, such as delivering results, interpreting laboratory tests, and administering injectables, and
- STI/HIV Training Modules for Pharmacists – a series of six 30-minute educational modules developed on a range of topics collaboratively by the National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers, NACCHO, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and the American Pharmacists Association. Continuing education credit is available, and you can check them out here.
Are you marketing your STI services? Do you want to?
If you answered “yes” to either of those questions, join NACCHO and KFF’s Social Impact Media for STI Marketing Office Hours!! The open discussion session will be Wednesday, May 22nd at 2 pm EST. Participants will get the chance to ask their burning questions about marketing campaigns, share ideas and expertise with each other, and walk away with knowledge and resources to improve their own marketing campaigns. The Zoom link can be found here; pre-registration is preferred, so please also fill out the interest form here.
Gender Diverse Approaches to Providing Affirming Care Webinar
June 20, 2024 1 PM – 2 PM ET
The final webinar in our Gender Diverse Approaches to Community Health Webinar Series will explore methods for providing care for TGNC people. The panel will include topics such as affirming language, creating safe space and an exploration of health issues that TGNC people feel are priorities for them. Our panel will include TGNC people speaking from their experiences receiving care, providing care and on the data around best practices to helping TGNC clients feel seen, heard and cared for.
HIV, STI, Hepatitis, and Harm Reduction Resources and News
Sexual Health Is Mental Health Virtual Conference
Celebrating 5 years as a 501c3 non profit organization, Something Positive for Positive People (SPFPP) will be presenting an analysis of its most recent herpes stigma survey at its very first online conference. The theme of this conference is “Sexual Health is Mental Health”, focusing on herpes stigma in healthcare, how one’s identity can be interconnected with their sexuality after an STI diagnosis, and the physical expressions of stigma that can sometimes lead to suicide ideation. SPFPP will also present proposed solutions to the symptoms of herpes stigma which will have a secondary impact on STD Prevention efforts & Sex Education programs.
This conference is for Public Health professionals, especially those who might work with individuals living with herpes, as well as mental health professionals. Anyone can come learn how to be a better ally and support people navigating herpes stigma.
NEW NCSH Spanish-Language Resources Page!
The National Coalition for Sexual Health (NCSH) has expanded their collection of Spanish-language resources! Their Recursos en Español page is now live! This page will be a one stop shop for all NCSH resources that are available in Spanish. As NCSH continue to translate materials, they will be added to this page for you to use with your patients, clients, and communities. Here are the resources currently available in Spanish:
- Preguntas sobre la salud sexual para todos los pacientes (Sexual health questions to ask all patients): This sexual history-taking tool includes a 6th P to help providers talk with patients about sexual pleasure, problems, and pride. It builds upon CDC’s 5 Ps approach.
- Tome el control de su salud sexual (Take Charge of Your Sexual Health): This guide informs people of all genders and ages about sexual health. It focuses on the preventive services that can help protect and improve your sexual health. The guide explains these recommended services and helps you find and talk with a health care provider.
- Gráficos para compartir (Shareable graphics): These colorful graphics provide easy-to-digest information on a variety of sexual health topics which you can share via social media.
- Consejos rápidos sobre la salud sexual (Sexual health quick tips): Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, to have positive relationships, and to enjoy safe, pleasurable sex lives. These colorful, shareable Five Action Steps graphics feature tips and advice, real-life scenarios, conservation starters, and more that you can share via social media, including Instagram, X (Twitter), or Facebook.
Provide Public Comments on Viral Hepatitis Quality Measures
OIDP invites you to provide public comments on proposed hepatitis C screening and treatment initiation quality measures for implementation at the state and territory level. Read the Federal Register Notice for more information and details on how to provide public comments.
OIDP recently hosted a Technical Consultation Meeting on Viral Hepatitis Quality Measures to hear state public health and Medicaid panelists discuss implementation and recommendations for viral hepatitis quality measures. Read this blog to learn more.
Illinois PrEP Summit 2024: Disrupting Disparities and Advancing Access
June 18, 2024
The conference focuses on advancing biomedical HIV prevention to help achieve Getting to Zero by 2030. Key summit goals include improving access, addressing disparities, fostering research and promoting community engagement. Join for in-person sessions covering strategies, policies and implementation research.
3 Day Virtual STI Intensive Course
This three-day course is open to clinicians offering STI services. This class is for clinicians that examine patients. Class size is limited to 45 participants. Continuing Education is provided. Schedule – class schedule set annually. This 3 Day STI Intensive will be held virtually July 17-19, 2024.
OBJECTIVES
- Identify the sites from which specimens should be obtained.
- Discuss STI Diagnosis.
- Describe the management of STIs.
- Describe the role of the disease intervention specialist (DIS) in STI control.
- Describe the importance of interprofessional collaboration in health department and private practice regarding STIs.
Register here.
2024 STI Prevention Conference
The STI Prevention Conference is a biennial conference that brings together leading researchers with government experts, clinical STD care providers, and state and local public health administrators. Join more than 1,200 conference attendees September 16-19, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia, for four days of scientific updates and cutting-edge sessions on science, program, and policy. Register here.
