Harm Reduction Center of Southern Oregon

Health Education

In an effort to promote safe behaviors and prevent the spread of disease, we conduct presentations for diverse groups in a variety of settings, including alternative, public, private and charter schools, businesses, community groups, health and social service agencies, alcohol and drug treatment programs, corrections (county jails, juvenile detention facilities and Shutters Creek State Prison), Job Corps, women’s self-help programs, and homeless shelters. This enables us to reach people who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, or other communicable diseases. We reach people who are infected and spreading disease, and people who are in danger of becoming infected.

To contact an outreach worker click here.

Who is at risk?

  Injection drug users
  Men who have sex with men
  The sex partners of injection drug users
  The female sex partners of men who have sex with men
  Curious and experimenting youth

What do we do?

The activities of the Community Outreach Program are designed to reduce the barriers to early diagnosis of HIV, Hepatitis C and other communicable diseases.  Through targeted community-based outreach, we facilitate testing, counseling, and harm reduction education.  These activities reach people who are at increased risk of becoming infected, and assist those already infected in reducing transmission of the viruses to others.

Who do we serve?

In Douglas, Josephine, Coos and Curry Counties, we reach high risk youth through presentations and HIV screening at juvenile detention centers, youth shelters, adolescent treatment groups and alternative schools.  We also make presentations at public, charter and private schools.  We access high risk adults through presentations and HIV screening to addiction treatment groups, shelters, self-help groups, county jails and the State Prison in North Bend.  We monitor the incidence of HIV and Hepatitis and are the primary source of high-risk testing and incidence data in this four county region.  Our covered areas encompass 9,900 square miles and two population centers (Roseburg and Grants Pass) along the I-5 corridor.  Over a quarter million people live in this region.

What is the need?

The Office of Disease Prevention and Epidemiology of the Oregon Department of Human Services reports that as of December 31, 2006, there are more than 150 people infected with HIV living in our region.  Chronic Hepatitis C became reportable in Oregon on July 1, 2005.  Since then, over 600 chronic cases have been reported in our area of operation.  While the incidence of HIV in rural Oregon is low and the incidence of Hepatitis C has not been fully documented, the presence of high-risk activities, particularly injection drug use and unprotected sex, are widespread and significant.  We are the only provider of these services in the four county area. 

Outline for Outreach Presentations

I.   Introduction (5 Minutes):
      1.  What is HRCSO?
      2.  What is HIV/AIDS & Hepatitis C?
      3.  How are they transmitted?  A general group discussion is elicited about risk factors. Perceived risk factors brought up by the group may include injecting drugs, using someone else’s toothbrush, unprotected sex with someone who uses drugs, helping someone with a nosebleed, wet kissing,   having sex with your significant partner, having unprotected sex with a partner who has had a negative HIV test, Mouth-to-Mouth Resuscitation, waking up in bed after a night of partying with someone you don’t know, sharing a needle to inject legal substances, using someone else’s razor, and/or getting a tattoo and body piercing.  A discussion lead by the staff follows to educate the group about true high risk behaviors that lead to HIV & Hep C transmission.

II.   HIV & Hep C interventions (15 minutes):
      1.  Current statewide statistics regarding HIV & Hep C positive rates among high risk populations are
           compared to the numbers reported in the local community.
      2.  Taking two or three of the high risk activities mentioned in the Introduction, risk reduction
           plans are  formulated with the group.

III.   HIV prevention (10 Minutes):
      1.  A summary of prevention strategies is discussed; abstinence, safer sex, blood-to-blood
           and Mother-to-baby transmission.
      2.  Current national and international data and trends are presented and discussed.

VI.   Conclusion (20 minutes):
      1.  Question & Answer session.  Most, if not all, high-risk activities for HIV transmission are
           discussed and risk reduction plans created for risk groups not covered during the
           previous discussion.