HIV/AIDS Prevention

Trends in AIDS and HIV disease in Indianapolis indicate that infection is spreading into the heterosexual community more rapidly than in the early years of the epidemic. The dramatic increase in cases among women and minorities is particularly alarming.

Research has shown that these populations often become infected with HIV through intravenous drug use, either by sharing needles with an infected person or by having sex with a partner who has engaged in this high risk behavior. Since 1988, the Health Department has worked to educate illicit drug users on risk reduction techniques. The HIV/AIDS Prevention Program continues to teach these skills as well as educate the abusers.

The project's goals include increasing the number of substance abusers treated by: increasing the use of noncontaminated paraphernalia among drug users; increasing HIV, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) testing; and increasing the number of primary care and drug treatment providers.

Current HIV prevention education efforts are focused on educating and training community volunteers to deliver culturally-sensitive HIV prevention sessions in townships across the county. These volunteers will also serve as HIV/AIDS education facilitators and trainers in their communities. The goal is to have an AIDS education and awareness training unit in place in every township of Marion County.

Care is delivered at the Marion County Health Department's:

• Bell Flower Clinic
• Regenstrief Health Center
• Citizens Health Center
• People's Health center
• Barrington Health Center
• Southeast Health Center
• Southwest Health Center
• The Damien Center
• Methodist Hospital Lifecare Program
• Martin University Center for Health Education.

Funding of this project has allowed Indianapolis to develop a continuous care system with seven major components:

• HIV Counseling and Testing
• Outreach Services
• Referral Services
• HIV Medical Staging
• Primary Care Center
• Treatment Services
• Care Coordination
• Chemical Dependency Treatment