In August 2010, Project Inform debuted a new series of three easy-to-read booklets called HIV Health & Wellness. The launch of these booklets helped Project Inform focus its educational work on those who were recently diagnosed or who have been out of HIV care, attempting to reach many of the 50,000 Americans with new infections each year with life-saving information.
Given its acceptance with service providers around the country, as of June this year, more than 40,000 sets in English and in Spanish have been distributed to medical and non-medical service providers throughout the 50 states and Puerto Rico. The Spanish version comprises about one-fifth of the total orders.
Director of Education Alan McCord highlighted, “The concise disease and treatment information contained in the booklets are not only for people living with HIV. Many AIDS service providers are using the materials as baseline education for newly hired staff and volunteers, and for their various program services such as linkage to care and adherence support groups.”
In North Carolina, the service provider Guide to Healing stated, “I wanted to let you know that we have found your education series on HIV Health & Wellness so helpful we are now including them in all our new patient informational packets.
As well, the AIDS Resource Center in Wisconsin remarked, “Thank you for providing these. We use these in our prevention department to give to newly diagnosed clients and give them a road map for next steps.” And the Test Positive Aware Network in Chicago wrote, “We have found these to be really useful. We use the books in our HIV educational programs, our peer buddy programs and our Newly Diagnosed group. We look forward to receiving them.”
“Although Project Inform provides these free of charge to providers, individuals may also request a set for themselves through our easy order form,” states McCord.
The types of providers who have used the booklets over the years range from Planned Parenthoods and Ryan White clinics to HIV testing sites, clinical trial sites, public health clinics, health departments, Veterans Administration, AIDS Education Training Centers, and HIV prevention services.
To piggyback on the success of these booklets, Project Inform launched this month a new series of three booklets called Hepatitis C and HIV Co-infection. Click here to order that series.