Virginia Department of Health - Division of HIV, STD, and Pharmacy Services - E-Bulletin, March 2006
Community-based organizations: Have you asked your transgender clients/prevention participants to complete the Transgender Health Initiative Survey (T.H.I.S) yet? T.H.I.S. addresses the HIV prevention, HIV care and overall health care needs of the transgender community in Virginia, including questions regarding health status, ability to access health care, violence, substance abuse, housing, employment, and HIV/AIDS. We need the voices of the transgender community to be heard so that we can improve prevention and health care planning and services. T.H.I.S is an important opportunity and we need to obtain additional responses now. Participants must self-identify as transgender and be a Virginia resident. Participants will receive $15 for completing the survey. The survey is available online at www.srl.vcu.edu/THIS. Paper copies of the survey may be obtained by contacting Jessica Xavier at (804) 828-7933 or Mert Rives at (804) 828-6760.
HIV prevention contractors can now find Program Evaluation and Monitoring System (PEMS) information and forms on the Division’s web site at www.vdh.virginia.gov/std/pems.asp. From the Division home page, you can also find the PEMS information by selecting PEMS from the drop down menu. The drop down menu under Programs will also take you to the page. Questions or feedback may be directed to Elaine Martin at Elaine.Martin@vdh.virginia.gov or (804) 864-7962.
The Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) and HIV Antibody Test brochures are now available in Spanish. Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual (ETS) and Prueba del Anticuerpo del VIH may be ordered through the Virginia HIV/STD/Viral Hepatitis Hotline by phone at (800) 533-4148 or by fax (804) 864-8053.
The Caring for Self While Caring for Others workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, at the Wingate Inn, in Sandston, Virginia. This one-day training is targeted to HIV test counselors in the community and health districts. It was adapted by LaShaun Evans from a shorter workshop presented at the Core Strategies for Street and Community Outreach Training in July 2005. Ms. Evans will lead this workshop which will be limited to 20 participants. A second workshop will be offered in October. For more information or registration forms, please contact training coordinator, Ted Heck, at (804) 864-8012 or Ted.Heck@vdh.virginia.gov.
The CDC has announced that a Healthy Relationships Clips Database is now available online. Healthy Relationships is a 12-session, HIV prevention intervention for people living with HIV. VDH hosted a Healthy Relationships Training in 2005 as part of the Diffusion of Effective Behavioral Interventions project. To view the clips database, please visit www.effectiveinterventions.org/interventions/healthy_relation.cfm and click on "HR Clips" in the right column. The Healthy Relationships Clips Database has been designed to assist implementers in selecting appropriate movie clips to use in the intervention. All clips should be selected based on what is most appropriate for the group participants. The movie clips that are listed in the implementation package are not included in this database. The Healthy Relationships Clips Database can be searched by language, gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Currently, the database has several suggestions for movie clips in Spanish. The database does not have clips for every search criteria; however, CDC plans to add additional clips every three months, and welcomes suggestions for clips to add to the data base.