Proyecto Promover : Attempts to Roll Out an HIV Prevention and Testing Initiative Within a Mexican Immigrant Community
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Proyecto Promover: Attempts to Roll Out an HIV Prevention and Testing Initiative Within a Mexican Immigrant Community Susan Ryerson Espino1,2 · Patricia Aguado2,3 · Monica Puente2 · Pamela Vergara‑Rodriguez2,4
© The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Latinx immigrants and men, in particular, living in the US are disproportionally impacted by HIV. Despite these concerns, there is limited research on the development, implementation, and evaluation of community-based HIV education and HIV testing interventions. The current study describes such efforts within a historic Mexican immigrant enclave in Chicago. A mixed-methods case study was used to describe intervention development, as well as preliminary evaluation data. Community intervention components were refined through early focus groups, asset mapping, community networking and consultation with cultural advisors. We exceeded our activity goals. We were successful in reaching a segment of the population that is often overlooked and remains unaware of HIV and its risks. Incorporating social network approaches could facilitate reaching at-risk community groups. Demonstration projects require more time and resources (fiscal and technical) to develop, refine, evaluate and sustain community-level intervention components. Keywords Mexican · Latinx · HIV · Intervention development · Community education · Testing
Background While we have a vast array of HIV prevention, outreach, and treatment services, there continues to be a need for more sociocultural community education and community-based testing initiatives, as well as, evaluation of the development, implementation, and outcomes of such initiatives [1–4]. To reduce new infections and delays in testing and care, HIV partners need to move outside of their clinic settings into communities at risk to raise awareness, reduce HIV stigma, and normalize HIV testing as a routine aspect of annual health screening [2, 3]. Recent CDC data show an overall decline in the rates of HIV infection [5, 6]. However, between 2010 and 2016
* Susan Ryerson Espino [email protected] 1
Evaluation Consultant, Chicago, IL, USA
2
The Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center, Hektoen Institute of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
3
Department of Social Work, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL, USA
4
Cook County Bureau of Health Services, The Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center, Chicago, IL, USA
there was an overall 14% increase of HIV infections among Latinxs, a 30% increase among Latinx MSM, and a 68% increase among Latinx MSM ages 25–34. In 2016, Latinxs accounted for 26% of the new HIV diagnoses in the United States and 6 dependent areas [5]. The CORE Center’s Proyecto Promover was developed as part of a 5-year grant through the Health Resources and Services Administration, Special Projects of National Significance (HRSA-SPNS) to develop, implement and evaluate a multilevel intervention aimed at identifying and engaging Mexican immigrants in HIV care. The goals of our community work included decreasing individual and community
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