CDC estimates that approximately 25% of
people with HIV don’t know they are infected, and this hard-to-reach
population is not coming in for CTR services. Although CDC funds many
agencies to provide CTR, nationally, the average positivity rate is only
1%. The Social Networks Strategy (SNS) is a cost-effective, targeted and
focused approach shown to be very successful in reaching highest risks,
hard to reach individuals with undiagnosed HIV infection and getting
them connected to HIV counseling, testing and referral (CTR) services.
The SNS for CTR is based on two
underlying principles. First, individuals in the same social network
share the same risks and risk behaviors for HIV; secondly, individuals
in the same social network know and trust each other. For SNS for CTR,
agencies would identify clients or peers who are HIV positive or at high
risk for HIV, and enlist them to become short-term recruiters. The
recruiters identify people in their social networks (e.g, friends, sex
or drug partners, family members, etc.) who are at risk of HIV and refer
or direct them to the clinic where they can receive CTR services.
Research has clearly shown that a Social
Networks approach is successful in reaching people with undiagnosed HIV
infection. A two-year demonstration project funded by the CDC, showed
that agencies using a social networks approach for HIV testing had a 6 –
13% positivity rate for HIV. Using the targeted approach of Social
Networks, agencies may actually test less people, but, because they will
be testing the “right” people, they may have a significantly higher
positivity rate.
For information on how to receive
training for Social Network Strategy, CBOs should contact their local
health department.
