AIDS Resource’s successes, challenges with HIV testing in rural Pa. – Williamsport Sun-Gazette
<!–
Kirsten Burkhart, executive director of AIDS Resource, and Dr. Rick Schulze, AIDS Resource’s board president, provided an oral presentation, “A Rural Home-Based HIV Counseling and Testing Program,” at the American Public Health Association 2022 annual meeting in Boston. The presentation was part of the session about ending the HIV epidemic in rural America.
“We hope by sharing some of our program’s successes and challenges in north central Pennsylvania with the public health community, others can learn how to strengthen and expand their services,” Burkhart said.
To accommodate the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, AIDS Resource started the home-based testing program on Dec. 1, 2020. This service gave any adult living in the agency’s 10-county coverage area access to a free HIV self-testing kit.
People unaware of their HIV status can transmit it to a sexual partner or by sharing injecting equipment. Making testing easy and accessible to everyone can prevent additional HIV transmissions and get newly diagnosed people into treatment.
There are a variety of barriers that can prevent individuals from getting tested. Mailing kits to residents address some of those barriers.
“We discovered many rural communities struggle with similar concerns, such as transportation, access, and fear of discrimination and stigma,” said Schulze.
One of the challenges Burkhart and Schulze shared was reaching demographics within the region that are statistically more likely to become HIV positive. Men who have sex with men, transgender people, and the Black community are at the highest risk.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, out of the 30,635 new HIV diagnoses in 2020, 42% identified as Black/African American. Of the new diagnoses, young Black/African American gay and bisexual men were the populations most affected by HIV.
During the same year, 18% of new HIV diagnoses were women. Of that group, over half were Black/African American, while 20% were white and 19% Hispanic/Latinx.
“Since we serve such diverse communities in Williamsport, State College and beyond, we have to explore additional means for reaching isolated populations for HIV screening,” Burkhart said.
From the start of the program to October 30, there were 232 HIV self-testing kits distributed. It was the first time getting tested for 44% of those who received home-based tests.
Other vital statistics include 53% being members of the LGBTQ+ community, 14% being Black/African American, 11% being Hispanic/Latinx, and the majority being in their late teens and early twenties.
The other HIV service organizations and rural health departments at the meeting suggested having a more innovative and targeted advertising campaign for high-risk demographics and, in those advertisements, emphasizing confidentiality, showing affirming images, and using LGBTQ+ pride colors.
To learn more about AIDS Resource, visit aidsresource.com.