AIDS Alabama Wins $1.7 Million Grant to Support HIV Prevention, Care

AIDS Alabama will use a new five-year, $1.7 million CDC grant to prevent new HIV infections and help those infected access care. The specific targets of the "Birmingham Many Men, Many Voices" program will be Jefferson County men of color, ages 13 to 29, who have sex with men, said Nigel Weatherspoon, director of education for AIDS Alabama. The outreach will use a CDC-approved behavioral intervention proven in other cities to reduce the transmission rates of HIV and STDs. Staff will recruit participants via social media, visits to nightclubs popular with the target population, and partnerships with other organizations. The grant also will fund a drop-in center offering HIV testing and safe-sex counseling, Weatherspoon said, though "to help curb the stigma of going to a building known for providing AIDS care," it will not be labeled as an HIV/AIDS facility.

Back to other news for October 2011