Community Mobilization
The Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) program is designed to overcome HIV prevention barriers in reaching the most at-risk and underserved populations in St. Louis by taking the testing facility to them.
Primary target populations include African Americans, homeless individuals, IV drug users, commercial sex workers, and men who have sex with men.
The unmarked MTU (a 12 foot van) has two private testing rooms allowing for confidential one-on-one testing and counseling. It allows us to remove the barriers of transportation, perceived inconvenience, and fear of coming to an AIDS service organization.
With the MTU we are able to provide testing and one-on-one counseling and HIV and STD risk reduction through:
• Street outreach – targeting high risk neighborhoods and parks
• Community events/health fairs
• Literature dissemination (door hangers, posters, brochures handbills, and social marketing campaigns)
The mobile testing program at Saint Louis EFFORT FOR AIDS has been our most innovative and successful screening approach in reaching people highest at risk.
Initially targeting zip codes with the highest HIV rates (63108, 63110, 63104, 63116, and 63118). The project has expanded to additional zip codes as those areas have showed increased rates of HIV infection.
The initial program purpose was to:
• Increase identified neighborhoods’ knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS risk reduction methods
• Increase individual’s knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS risk reduction methods
• Increase individual’s HIV/AIDS risk reduction behavior in identified neighborhoods
• Increase the number of individuals who know their HIV status
• Decrease the transmission of HIV/STDs through increased knowledge of HIV/STDs
• Increase the number of African Americans access to HIV/AIDS health care
While maintaining these goals we have expanded our goals/services to include free testing of:
• Syphilis
• Hepatitis B and C
• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
Data indicated that the same clients we were serving were also at risk for these diseases and we felt it was imperative to evolve with the epidemiological trends to best serve the health of the clients and the community.
Through targeted outreach to communities, we reach 15,000 individuals annually.
Of these, 800 receive testing for HIV and the other STDs.
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