We are excited to announce that IWES was selected to administer two new HIV-focused grants. The first is from the Office of Women’s Health (OWH), and it recognizes the intersections between intimate partner violence (IPV) and increased risk for HIV infection. OWH also recognize the need for comprehensive, patient-centered, and trauma-informed care for affected women to prevent negative health outcomes associated with IPV, particularly HIV infection. IWES was selected as one of four organizations in the country to join this initiative, which has two very distinct goals:

1. Support IPV victims/survivors in New Orleans to lessen harms after experiencing IPV, including activities that aim to prevent HIV transmission, increase HIV screening, and improve access to services for individuals with newly acquired HIV infections.

2. Promote social norms that protect against IPV in New Orleans.

To achieve the grant’s first objective, IWES has partnered with the New Orleans Family Justice Center (NOFJC), who will lend its expertise in the IPV arena by collaborating and supporting our efforts to reduce HIV transmission among people impacted by IPV. The second goal of the grant aims to change the narrative regarding violence against both cis- and trans- women and will involve engagement with a variety of local African American male programs that are focused on mentoring, coaching and impacting change in young African American males. To achieve this goal, both our HIV/STI initiatives and adolescent health-focused programs will join together to lead trainings and community conversations around these themes.

The second grant within the HIV Testing and Prevention (HTP) portfolio is the ViiV Healthcare Positive Action for Women opportunity, which recognizes the significant role that isolation plays in achieving viral suppression among African American cis- and trans- women living with HIV. In partnership with the Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC), IWES will be launching, “Out of the Shadows (OOS),” a program that addresses this phenomenon of isolation from a trauma-informed, multi-pronged approach.

At IWES, both the HTP Team and Collective for Healthy Communities (CHC) staff will collaborate to launch OOS by providing a supportive environment that will expand participants’ networks of care and support. OOS aims to impact health outcomes by enhancing the resiliency and overall well-being of twenty (20) African American cis- and trans- women, ages 18-65, in the Greater New Orleans area. The initiative will support these women in developing skills necessary to achieve viral suppression, emerge from isolation, advocate for services, expand their social networks of support and explore life-enhancing goals.

Both initiatives are currently in the start-up phases with hopes of eventually being able to duplicate them and expand their reach to additional communities.

For questions about either grant or to learn more about HTP, please contact Angelita Brown by email (abrown@iwesnola.org) or phone (504-599-7712).