Communities of Practice
The goal of TRANSFORM is to TRANSFORM, strengthen, and expand the workforce capacity of the THRIVE-funded health departments and their community partners to comprehensively provide care to MSM of color at risk for or living with HIV. This page is a virtual space for shared knowledge and resources that enhance the provision of services. TRANSFORMation will require public health and provider services to work collaboratively and seamlessly within a multi-sector system.
THRIVE site visit in Baltimore, MD
FAQs
How does THRIVE collaboration support the creation and dissemination of comprehensive HIV prevention and care services for MSM of color?
Each THRIVE health department grantee must fund local CBOs using at least 25% of its award to provide comprehensive HIV prevention and care services and behavioral health and social services for MSM of color. The health department will ensure that all THRIVE services are provided by including unfunded partners in the collaborative.
Why are MSM of color considered a high risk population for HIV?
In 2015, 39,513 new HIV infections were diagnosed in the United States. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) were most heavily affected by HIV infection, and black and Hispanic MSM comprised 67% of all new diagnoses among MSM. To address this high disease burden among MSM of color, health departments will implement culturally competent HIV prevention are care interventions to reduce HIV acquisition and transmission, and to improve outcomes along the HIV continuum of care. These include antiretroviral (ARV) medications that can be used for HIV preeexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a daily medication taken by persons at substantial risk for HIV acquisition, or by persons for HIV nonocupational postexpsoure prophylaxis (nPEP) after a potential exposure. The daily use of PrEP has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition by greater than 90% among sexually active MSM when taken daily. MSM of color will also benefit from prevention services such as routine HIV testing using strategies to detect acute infection, PrEP adherence support, routine screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and evidence-based risk reduction interventions. ARV treatment with the goal of viral suppression among persons living with HIV (PLWH) has been demonstrated to significantly reduce the risk of transmission to uninfected sexual partners and to improve health outcomes of infected individuals, and interventions and strategies will be implemented to link, retain, and re-engage PLWH in care and to support their adherence to ARV treatment.
Resources
Effective Interventions
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's High Impact HIV/AIDS Prevention Project (HIP).
HIV Care Continuum
This resource describes the HIV care continuum, which consists of several steps required to achieve a suppressed viral load in the blood: linkage to and engagement in clinical care and taking HIV medications.
HIV Testing 101
General infographic-driven fact sheet about HIV testing. Geared to high-risk individuals considering getting tested.
PEP 101
This fact sheet provides basic details about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for those considering use of PEP.
PrEP Clinical Guidelines
This document, entitled "Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention in the United States - 2017 Update: A Clinical Practice Guideline" provides comprehensive information for the use of daily oral antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV infection in adults.
PrEP Fact Sheet
This fact sheet provides a more in-depth overview of PrEP and how it protects persons at risk for HIV.
Recommendations for HIV Screening of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men — United States, 2017
These guidelines, "Recommendations for HIV Screening of Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men — United States, 2017" were published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), on August 11, 2017 [66(31);830–832].
Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health Care Settings
These guidelines, "Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health Care Settings" were published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), on September 12, 2006 [55(RR14);1-17]. General consent for medical care should be considered sufficient to encompass consent for HIV testing.
Events
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