Social Network HIV Testing in Oakland, California Yamini Bhatnagar - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Social Network HIV Testing in Oakland, California

Yamini Bhatnagar

Downtown Youth Clinic – East Bay AIDS Center

Oakland USA Prevalence 850/100,000 448/100,000 MSM 58% 48% African American 59% 46%

Data sources: Alameda County Office of AIDS Administration, data from 2008 CDC, data from 2006

Background:

HIV Prevalence in Oakland Almost Twice Nation

Background:

Downtown Youth Clinic - Who Are We?

 Youth track of East Bay AIDS Center  “Clinic Without Walls”  100+ HIV+ youth (13-24) currently in care  >65% African American; >70%MSM

Finding HIV Positive youth Linking them To care Preventing new infection Maintaining Them in Care

 January 2010 - June 2010  HIV+ youth recruited as index patients  $10 incentives per referral; $20 incentives per youth getting tested  Counseling provided to all youth referred for HIV testing

Methods:

Social Network Testing

78 tested 13 positive 11 newly diagnosed 7 linked to care 6 retained in care (@6mo) 2 previously diagnosed 4 not linked 1 not retained 65 negative

Results:

14% Newly Diagnosed

(Re-linked)  (No conf. test )

HIV + Index patient HIV+ Network Associate HIV- Network Associate

Results:

Several Types of Networks

Results:

Social Network Testing = High Yield Testing

 Preliminary disclosure  Confirmatory blood work  Linkage to care  Retention in care

Lessons:

Stigma is a Barrier at Every Stage

 National HIV/AIDS Strategy: focus on reducing health disparities

 Reaching marginalized peoples

 Provided incentives to those removed from system

 Network associate demographic  Index patients often out of care

Lessons:

Reduces Disparities

Acknowledgements

 Damon Francis, MD  Michael D’Arata, FNP  Alex Williams  Kathryn Ruiz, A. Daniel Ramos and Downtown Youth Clinic  East Bay AIDS Center