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The U.S. government and women's health

HIV/AIDS Awareness days

Recommendations from "Bringing Gender Home: Implementing Gender-Responsive HIV/AIDS Programming for U.S. Women and Girls"

This article describes a two-day forum, "Bringing Gender Home: Implementing Gender-Responsive HIV/AIDS Programming for U.S. Women and Girls." The Office on Women’s Health and UNAIDS sponsored this meeting. Participants met in Washington, DC, on June 10–12, 2010.
National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Government in action on HIV/AIDS

The Office on Women's Health (OWH) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a mission to provide leadership to promote health equity for women and girls through sex- and gender-specific approaches. The strategy OWH uses to achieve its mission and vision includes developing innovative programs and events.

The Office on Women's Health manages several events and programs that target communities most at risk of HIV. To note the work of women in the fight against HIV/AIDS, OWH is paying tribute to women leaders and champions (PDF, 290 KB) who support other women and girls. These courageous women have shown humility and service for more than 20 years.

A new report is now available for the June 2010 Bringing Gender Home: Implementing Gender-Responsive HIV/AIDS Programming for U.S. Women and Girls forum. OWH convened the forum in partnership with UNAIDS. Participants recommended strategies to make HIV/AIDS prevention programs more responsive to the needs of women and girls. UNAIDS sponsored international gender experts who presented lessons learned and internationally-developed models of gender-responsive programming that can be adapted for use in the U.S. The final recommendations were aligned with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy goals of reducing new HIV infections, increasing access to care and improving health outcomes for people living with HIV, and reducing HIV-related health disparities. Read the final report (PDF, 793 KB).

Events – Office on Women's Health

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – March 10

Project officer: Mary Bowers, M.S.W.

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day began on March 10, 2006 and has been observed each year since. Its goal is to raise awareness in all sectors of the U.S. of the increasing burden of HIV on women and girls in the U.S. and around the world. In addition, the observance provides an opportunity to discuss and explore the social context of women's lives and those risks and vulnerabilities which are gender specific to women and girls. Also, the observance is a tool to promote discussion, information sharing, and the opportunity to provide the facts on how to prevent infection as well as how to live with the disease. National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is patterned after other awareness observances.

For more information, visit the National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day website.

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Programs – Office on Women's Health

Girls at Greater Risk - HIV Prevention for Female Adolescents/Youth at Greater Risk for Juvenile Delinquency Project

Project officer: Aleisha Langhorne, M.P.H., M.H.S.A.

This initiative is a gender-specific prevention education project focused on HIV/AIDS, STDs, and juvenile delinquency for at-risk female adolescents ages 9 to 16 years. This project specifically focuses on the intersection between sexually risky and juvenile delinquent behavior among female adolescents. This project is evaluation intensive and focuses on building capacity within communities to service the needs of female adolescents that are at-risk of HIV, STDs, and juvenile delinquency. It identifies and addresses the social and economic threats which contribute to the participation of female adolescents in sexually risky and delinquent behavior. It also focuses on building self-esteem and educates girls on how to cope with adverse situations. All organizations address the mental health and well-being of their young participants and provide supplemental services to past program participants. The organizations providing services under this project title are:

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HIV Prevention for Women Living in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Project officer: Mary Bowers, M.S.W.

This initiative supports gender-specific prevention education projects providing accurate and comprehensive information on HIV/AIDS prevention and healthy behaviors for women living in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

  • Helping Others in a Positive Environment (HOPE), Inc.
    Ivy Moses, Program Director
    The Professional Building, Suite #23
    1 Forts Strade
    St. Thomas, VI 00802
    Email: imoses@hopeincvi.org
  • Per Ankh, Inc.
    Dr. Chenzira D. Kahina, Managing Director
    P.O. Box 607
    Kingshill, St. Croix, VI 00851-0607
    Email: perankh@gmail.com

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HIV Prevention for Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Puerto Rico

Project officer: Mary Bowers, M.S.W.

This initiative supports gender-specific prevention education projects targeting women living with HIV/AIDS. It increases access to care, improves knowledge of protective behaviors, and reduces isolation of women living with HIV.

  • Iniciativa Communitaria de Investigacion, Inc.
    Juan C. Espinosa Charriez, Prevention Director
    Calle Quisqueya #61 Esq, Chile
    San Juan, PR 00918
    Email: espinosa_charriez@yahoo.com
  • University of Puerto Rico – Medical Sciences Campus
    P.O. Box 365067
    San Juan, PR 00936
    Carmen D. Zorrilla, M.D., Director
    Email: carmen.zorrilla@upr.edu
    Lourdes De Jesus, Administrator
    Email: ldejesus@rcm.upc.edu
    Janic Perez, Clinic Coordinator
    Email: Janice.perezl@upr.edu
  • Concilio de Salud Integral de Loiza, Inc.
    Maria Rodriquez, M.D., Medical Officer
    Apartado 509
    Carretera #188 Int.#187
    P.O. Box 509
    Loiza, PR 00772
    Email: csiloi@prtc.net or csiloi3@coqui.net

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HIV Prevention and Support Services for Women Partners of Incarcerated/Recently Released Males

Project officer: Mary Bowers, M.S.W.

This initiative supports gender-specific demonstration projects for HIV/AIDS continuum of care and prevention services for incarcerated and newly-released women disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS.

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In Community Spirit - HIV Prevention for Native Women Living in Rural and Frontier Indian Country

Project officer: Mary Bowers, M.S.W.

This is a gender-specific HIV prevention education project that integrates the strengths of traditions, values, culture, and spirituality indigenous to the targeted communities.

  • Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
    Jessica Leston, Program Manager
    4000 Ambassador Drive
    Anchorage, AK 99508
    Email: jdleston@anthc.org
  • National Indian Women's Health Resource Center
    Pamela E. Iron, Executive Director
    228 South Muskogee Avenue
    Tahlequah, OK 74464
    Email: peiron@niwhrc.org
  • Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc.
    Gwenda Gorman, Health Promotions Program Director
    2214 N. Central Avenue, Suite 100
    Phoenix, AZ 85004
    Email: gwenda.gorman@itcaonline.com
  • Salish Kootenai College - Nursing Dept.
    Niki Graham, Programs Director
    58138 US Hwy 93
    PO Box 70
    Pablo, MT 59855
    Email: niki_graham@skc.edu
  • Planned Parenthood of Minnesota/North Dakota/South Dakota
    Kim Rossow, Director of Education and Outreach
    1965 Ford Parkway
    Saint Paul, MN 55116-1923
    Email: krossow@ppmns.org
  • National Native American AIDS Prevention Center
    Robert Foley, Acting, Executive Director
    720 S. Colorado Boulevard, Suite 650-S
    Denver, CO 80246
    Email: rfoley@nnaapc.org

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Leading Ladies Promoting Healthy Lifestyles and Healthy Families: An HIV/AIDS Awareness Project

Project officer: Aleisha Langhorne, M.P.H., M.H.S.A.

This project expands the scope of the National HIV Testing Mobilization Campaign by engaging faith-based organizations (FBOs). The project targets female clergy, female spouses of pastors, and other female leaders within FBOs. The project focuses on capacity building within FBOs while implementing gender-responsive prevention education models for minority women and their families within a faith-based setting. HIV/AIDS prevention education is relevant to stigma and HIV/AIDS, heterosexual HIV/AIDS risk behavior, denial of HIV/AIDS risk, sexual and reproductive health education, communication and condom negotiation skills building, and healthy sexual relationship messages in the scope of holistic health and wellness. The organizations providing services under this project title are:

  • Center for Multicultural Wellness and Prevention, Inc.
    Marie-Jose Francois
    641 North Rio Grande Avenue
    Orlando, FL 32805
    Email: mjfrancois@cmwp.org
  • Garden of Hope Community Development Center
    Sharon Houston
    1317 East Brambleton Avenue
    Norfolk, VA 23504-4307
    Email: farwestrd27@yahoo.com
  • Iris House: A Center for Women Living with HIV, Inc.
    Ingrid Floyd
    2348 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard
    New York, NY 10030
    Email: ifloyd@irishouse.com
  • RAIN, Inc.
    Geneva Galloway
    North Tryon Street
    4th Floor
    Charlotte, NC 28202
    Email: g.galloway@carolinarain.org

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Project HOPE: Helping Organizations Provide Effective HIV/AIDS Prevention for Women and Girls

Project officer: Aleisha Langhorne, M.P.H., M.H.S.A.

Grantees will provide free information, training, technical assistance, and technology transfer to individuals, organizations, and communities. Their funds help organizations efficiently operate and increase their capacity to effectively deliver culturally competent, linguistically appropriate, and evidence-based interventions and core public health strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention. They implement gender-responsive strategies within their programs. Funded organizations also market, disseminate, and train participants using the HIV Prevention Gender Toolkit for US Women, set to be released in 2011.

  • JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc.
    Jacqueline Nolan
    44 Farnsworth Street
    Boston, MA 02210-1211
    Email: jnolan@jsi.com
  • National Native American AIDS Prevention Center
    Robert Foley
    720 South Colorado Boulevard
    Suite 650-S
    Denver, CO 80246
    Email: rfoley@nnapc.org

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Straight Talk on Preventing HIV

Project officer: Mary Bowers, M.S.W.

The Straight Talk on Preventing HIV Program (multi-year for three years) develops gender and age-specific, culturally, and linguistically-appropriate HIV/AIDS prevention education to reach at-risk racial and ethnic minorities. The program works with African-American, Latina/Hispanic, and Native American females ages 12 – 18 and the female adults in their families. Mother, grandmothers, and other female members of the family (such as cousins and kinship network members) are taught how to demonstrate their love and support for their teenagers with healthy communication skills targeting physical heath, emotional health, and sexual health. With the use of behavioral health therapists, health educators, and art therapists, participants are given multiple outlets to recognize their at-risk behaviors, get tested for HIV, develop regular appointments with the behavior health therapist to receive counseling, and strategize how best to change at-risk behaviors. Through the demonstration of love and caring expressed through healthy communication skills about sexual health, teenagers use the support of other female family members as a catalyst to get tested for HIV and change their at-risk behaviors. Additionally, participants learn to include physician's visits as a regular part of their healthcare.

  • National Indian Women's Health Resource Center
    Pamela E. Iron, Executive Director
    228 S. Muskogee Avenue
    Tahelquah, OK 74464-3836
  • Union Temple Baptist Church
    Mary L. Wilson, Church Administrator
    1225 W Street, SE
    Washington, DC 20020-5775
  • National Black Women's Health Project
    Eleanor Hinton Hoytt, President and CEO
    1726 M Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20036-4502
  • Susanna Wesley Family Learning Center
    Dr. Martha Ellen Black, Executive Director
    207 N. Washington Street
    East Prairie, MO 63845-1141
  • California State University Long Beach Foundation
    Denise Bell, Director
    6300 State University Drive
    Long Beach, CA 90815-4670
  • Community Health Interventions
    Mary McAllister, Executive Director
    2409 Murchison Road
    Fayetteville, NC 28301-3519

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The Young Women's HIV/STD Mobilization Project: Moving Beyond the Messaging

Project officer: Aleisha Langhorne, M.P.H., M.H.S.A.

The Office on Women's Health developed this project to reach young women between the ages of 13 and 24 years to provide accurate and comprehensive sexual health education and promote healthy behaviors to maintain holistic health. The funded organizations will move beyond social marketing campaigns and expand the capacity of their gender-specific services to provide and implement an HIV/STD component (implementing the social and economic realities of minority female adolescents and young adults). The organizations also belong to a larger network and have an established history of servicing young women between the ages of 13 and 24 years. The organizations providing services under this project title are:

  • Delta Research and Educational Foundation
    LaVerne Davis
    1703 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
    Washington, DC 20009
    Email: farwestrd27@yahoo.com
  • National Council of Negro Women
    Avis Jones-DeWeever
    633 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
    Washington, DC 20004
    Email: deweever@ncnw.org

Content last updated November 8, 2011.

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womenshealth.gov
A federal government website managed by the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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