Goal:
To facilitate the development and implementation of evidence-based strategies of education, outreach, and case management on HIV/AIDS and drug addiction through cooperation between state-run and NGO substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers, AIDS centers, NGO outreach programs, and the St. Petersburg community (multiple entry point approach).
Objectives:
Change the attitude of pregnant /post-delivery women injection drug users and motivate them to stop addictive behavior, and seek substance abuse and HIV-prevention treatment.
The ultimate targets of the program are to increase women's capacity to take care of their health, achieve social integration, reduce risky behavior in the sphere of reproductive health and substance abuse, and decrease the number of unparented children.
Project components:
Maternity hospital staff provided women from MARP groups with individual counseling. The main issues were: pre- and post-test counseling, developing adherence to substance abuse or HIV treatment, and preventing HIV transmission from mother to child. Clients were provided with information on specialized HIV, substance abuse, and RH services available for them in St. Petersburg – both in state-run health care facilities and through NGOs. Pregnancy and childbirth are potentially a resource for IDU women to acquire additional motivation to take care of their health, stop addictive behavior, get addiction treatment, get committed to HIV prevention and reproductive health care - and even start peer-to-peer HIV prevention work as volunteers.
Partners: Humanitarian Action NGO, state-run social services of St. Petersburg, Maternity Hospital No. 16 (for women from MARP groups)