Parallel Paths: Linking Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS Providers in Memphis/Shelby County, TN
As part of the
M·A·C AIDS Fund Women's Initiative, MCRH has received a grant to support the Parallel Paths Project. View our press release.
Upcoming Parallel Path Lunch and Learn Sessions:
- September 9, 2010 - PAP Smears and HPV Guidelines
- October 7, 2010 - STD Testing and Treatment
- November 11, 2010 - Fertility and Pregnancy Options
- February 3, 2011 - Transgender Health Care
All Lunch and Learn Sessions are from 12:00pm until 1:30pm. Lunch is provided, and space is limited. Please, RSVP to 901-274-3550 ext.107 or amiranda@mcrh-tn.org.
The Parallel Paths project will seek to increase awareness and decrease stigma of HIV prevention and testing among women seeking services at MCRH by making HIV screening and risk reduction counseling a routine part of clinical services. The project will also raise awareness of reproductive health issues with HIV+ women receiving services at local HIV/AIDS organizations. When the Parallel Paths project is complete, new relationships and collaborations among reproductive health and HIV/AIDS service providers will work to ensure the sexual health needs of women in Memphis/Shelby County are met in a more comprehensive manner.
The goal of the Parallel Paths project is to connect and integrate HIV/AIDS and reproductive health services in Memphis/Shelby County, TN by:
- increasing the integration of routine HIV/AIDS prevention and screening services into the clinical practice of MCRH,
- supporting local HIV/AIDS service providers to integrate reproductive health information into their education and counseling with HIV-positive women,
- strengthening collaboration and referrals among local reproductive health providers and HIV/AIDS organizations.
- providing comprehensive reproductive health education to HIV-positive women.
For over 20 years, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS providers have been working on parallel, yet separate paths. Women's needs related to HIV and reproductive health care often inextricably linked. Not only do reproductive health clients need to understand their risks for HIV and take these risks into account when making decisions about their sexual and reproductive health, but HIV-positive women have pregnancy prevention and planning needs as well. The integration of reproductive health and HIV works to fully meet the reproductive health needs of women, and offers them more comprehensive information for decisions making. Reproductive health providers also have access to many women who may never seek the services of an HIV/AIDS provider.
In 2007, there were 488 newly reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Shelby County, and 164 cases (34%) were among females. In 2007, females accounted for 34% of all newly reported HIV/AIDS cases, compared to 33% in 2006. The proportion of female cases has remained virtually the same in recent years (33% in 2005, and 34% in 2004) since rising from 30% in 2003.
After increasing dramatically in 2005 from 275 to 345 cases or 25%, the number of new AIDS cases recorded in 2006 decreased 22% to levels similar to those reported in 2003 and 2004. The 2005 increase in Shelby County AIDS only incidence was especially high among females, and when the total number of new AIDS cases declined in 2006, the number of new AIDS cases among women still increased from 98 to 106 cases. (Source: 2008 Memphis TGA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Care Needs Assessment)
Rates of infection and transmission patterns among women in Memphis, TN exceed national statistics. In 2008, women of reproductive age, age 13 to 45, represented 25% of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in Memphis/Shelby County; 74% were infected through heterosexual contact. In Memphis/Shelby County, women represented 30% of all HIV/AIDS cases through 2008; 91% were African American, and 66% were infected through heterosexual contact. (Source: Tennessee Department of Health, 2008 Epidemiological Profile for Memphis/Shelby Region)
Recognizing the increasing number of HIV infected women and the heterosexual transmission pattern, MCRH is seeking to connect and integrate reproductive health and HIV/AIDS services in Memphis/Shelby County.
If you are interested in participating in the Parallel Paths Project, please e-mail or call Jennifer Marshall, Assistant Director at 901-274-3550.
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