April 2, 2004

Provides Methodologies to Address “Unmet Need” in HIV

Washington, DC - AIDS Action Foundation has released the Connecting to Care workbook and website for health care providers working with HIV+ clients. The workbook and website features 17 methodologies that have successfully connected, or reconnected individuals with “unmet need” to care through medical support services and client-centered approaches.

Unmet Need – as identified by the HIV/AIDS Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – refers to individuals who are living with HIV and are aware of their HIV status, but are not receiving regular primary medical care.

The featured methodologies or “activities” utilize both traditional and innovative approaches to connect individuals to care despite geographic, economic, cultural and linguistic barriers that hinder long-term engagement. The activities range from “Snapshot Viral Load Testing” that helps clients at health clinics for the homeless obtain a clear picture of their HIV infection, to “Clinicians Reaching Out” that establishes trust and demystifies the role of the clinician through their active participation in the HIV+ community.

Connecting to Care responds to urgent needs created by the HIV epidemic in the United States by providing health care agencies with model activities that can be adapted to their particular demographic settings - both urban and rural.

The Connecting to Care website, which offers English and Spanish versions of the workbook, can be accessed through www.aidsaction.org.

AIDS Action Foundation strives to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by working for public policies that promote prevention against new infections, provide care for people already living with HIV/AIDS, and support the search for a cure. AIDS Action is the national voice of all people living with HIV, representing community based organizations across the country.