Projects

I am in collaboration with Mark Schaecher, the state prevention and intervention Public Health Detailer for HIV, and Vishal Kinkhabwalav, lead HIV prevention coordinator, on a project centered around HIV/STI testing on college campuses. The conception of this project began when I recognized the innate differences between how universities described HIV prevention services on their websites. I conducted phone interviews and correspondence with student health services on over 28 different campuses. I compiled data from a list of questions that included whether they provided HIV/STI services and at what cost to students. I created a case study, detailing the language and accessibility of different college/university websites. There will be at least two pilot programs to test the feasibility of these changes. The final recommendations will be implemented in the summer of 2021 for the beginning of fall semester. 

In an ambitious project involving community stakeholders, physicians, and experts in HIV prevention, I am developing an open source HIV Prevention and PrEP prescription starter guide for primary care settings for adolescent populations. The goal of this project is to enhance the materials available to primary care providers on tools for ending the HIV epidemic. This starter guide links public health entities with primary care providers, forming an essential relationship. Additionally, the review and development process of the starter guide has and will be comprehensive. I am conducting interviews with members of the Michigan HIV/AIDS Council who have expertise in HIV prevention and PrEP prescription in adolescent populations. The Adolescent Health Initiative (AHI), Community Access Health Initiative (CHAI), and the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH) are valuable partners in this initiative and will have community stakeholders review starter guides. The outcome of this project is expected for early 2022.

Partnering with the Community Engagement Committee of MHAC, I led a Zoom webinar on COVID-19 vaccine and testing that tackled topics of hesitancy in focus populations, such as black and brown individuals in Metro Detroit. I created the Michigan HIV AIDS Council Youtube to store panel videos and pertinent information related to the ongoing HIV epidemic. Check out the video, and thank you to the collaborators on this project!

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Michigan HIV/AIDS Council Youtube Channel

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Michigan HIV/AIDS Council - COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Panel

The goal of this survey is to create a comprehensive picture of the education around sexual practices in the greek life setting. The survey is currently open to all those in Michigan who are affiliated with greek life. There will be interviews and focus groups conducted after the survey portion of the project is complete. The full analysis of outcomes will be delivered to the Michigan HIV/AIDS Council by early fall of 2021. This project will help determine the needs assessment for HIV prevention. This project is supported by the University of Michigan Honors College through the Honors Catalyst Grant.

Through an initiative from the Advocates for Youth called the Condom Collective, I applied to obtain and distribute 500 condoms to my campus community. I consulted with campus leaders involved with engagement, including political organizations, greek life, and residential advisors. Identifying areas of need, I provided condoms to the following organziations: Stonewall Democrats, a progressive democratic organization focused on LGBTQ+ rights; Delta Lambda Phi, the first queer social fraternity on campus, comprised of members in the LGBTQ+ community; various Residential Advisors. I learned how accessible tools of best sexual practice were during the pandemic, while also cultivating collaboration across different organizations to improve condom usage. I wrote an article in the Michigan Gayly about the process and created a document that outlines the results of the project.

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Meet the Moment: Condom Distribution

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Condom Collective Project Summary at University of Michigan (PDF)

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Tasked with creating an event for Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day 2021, I executed a virtual event with __ attendants. I collaborated with Leon Golson of UNIFIED - HIV Health and Beyond, Direct of Prevention Programs, and Stephanie Roberts, a sexual health educator. The event focused on the intersectionalities of HIV/STI susceptibility along with discussion on HIV prevention tools, such as PrEP. The event included resources for accessing care and affirming sexual practices.

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National Youth HIV and AIDS Awareness Day 2021 Michigan HIV/AIDS Council Marketing Materials 

- Poster

- Contact for Instagram Story, Social Media Post, and Zoom Background