More than 1 million curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are acquired every day. Unfortunately, lack of public awareness, lack of training among healthcare providers, and stigma around STIs remain and prevent people from getting the tests and treatment they need.
The September session of Hot Topics in Practice will provide an overview of the in-home specimen collection and lab testing program called I Want The Kit (IWTK). Started in 2004 at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as part of a laboratory that specializes in STI research, IWTK tests for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B and C. The session will cover an overview of IWTK’s mission to decrease the transmission and burden of sexually transmitted infections through free, convenient, confidential, and accurate testing, as well as the adaptations made for Indigenous-IWTK (Indigi-IWTK) to ensure the program is culturally responsive to American Indian/Alaska Natives. This session will highlight some of the work that has evolved over the last 20 years.
In this hour-long webinar, Gretchen Armington, MA, the Deputy Director of the Center for Innovative Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases (CIDID) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Program Director for I Want The Kit (IWTK), along with Alicia Edwards, MPH, CHES, the HIV/STI Communications Manager in the Syndemic Support Department at the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB), and Cody Knight MPH, CPH, Program Manager on the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board will tell the story of STIs in Indian Country. The presentation will include a brief historical background of American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) in the United States, social determinants of health, the rates and locations of STIs in Indian Country, and the IWTK intervention. The presenters will also share some preliminary data on uptake to date, information on successes, limitations, and practical next steps.
Register today to learn how STIs affect Indian Country and gain knowledge of how IWTK works for clients and practitioners.
I Want the Kit: Addressing the Burden of STIs in Indian Country
Date: September 24, 2024, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. (Pacific)
Intended Audiences
Local, state, and tribal public health practitioners
Presenter
Gretchen Armington, MA
Deputy Director, Center for Innovative Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases & IWTK Program Director, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Alicia Edwards, MBA, MPH, CHES
HIV/STI Communications Manager, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
Cody Knight MPH, CPH
Program Manager, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board
About Hot Topics in Practice
Hot Topics in Practice is a monthly webinar forum to discuss issues affecting public health practice.
Up to 1 CPH recertification credit may be earned by viewing this webinar. Visit the National Board of Public Health Examiners to learn more.