The Louisiana Wellness Center Project aims to improve the holistic health and wellness of gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals through providing affordable healthcare services and connecting communities to resources, with the goals of decreasing HIV, STDs, and health disparities. The program defines health holistically and believes the health of individuals is linked to community health, so strengthening LGBT communities is vital to improving individual health.

2. The mission of the Louisiana Wellness Center (WC) Project is to actively engage and
empower gay and bisexual men and transgender individuals in improving their health and
wellness in communities across Louisiana. The program will accomplish this by providing
holistic health programming, affordable health care services, and connections to existing
resources.
Ultimately this is a community-driven program that aims to decrease HIV/AIDS,
STDs, and health disparities among the gay men and transgender communities.
STD/HIV Program (SHP) defines “health” as a whole body, holistic concept, including
mental/emotional, physical, sexual, and spiritual well-being. SHP believes that the
health of individuals is linked with the health of the community, and strengthening
the gay men and transgender communities across Louisiana is a vital step in
improving the health of gay men and transgender individuals.

3. Model:
Local Inclusive
Planning Groups
• Community
Advisory Board
Holistic Health and
Well-Being
• Wellness Center
Clinical Services
• Community
Involvement
• Health and
Wellness Support
Programming

4. This project focuses on accessing the high-
risk members of our target populations:
The risks for these populations are increased with the addition of
alcohol and other drug use, injection drug use, addictive
behaviors, and risky sexual practices.
Gay Males Bisexual Males Individuals who identify as transgender Other MSM
Populations Served:

5. Staffing and Volunteers:
Wellness Center volunteers may
include clinical staff such as a
medical doctor, nurse, mental
health professional (psychiatrist,
LCSW, licensed therapist
experienced in working with LGBT
population). Lay persons may also
conduct HIV/STD STD testing as
approved by the HIV Regional
Coordinator. All staff will be members
of the target population
and/or receive training in
cultural competency and
be
gay/bisexual/transgender
affirming
All staff and
volunteers should be
covered under the
agency’s malpractice
insurance
All staff and
volunteers
conducting HIV
Counseling and
Testing will be
trained and certified
by SHP
All staff and volunteers
will complete HIPAA
training as provided by
their agency
Staff and volunteers
of Wellness Center
will attend ongoing
Louisiana Wellness
Project trainings as
required by SHP

6. Role of WC Coordinator:
The WC Coordinator’s sole responsibility is to
ensure the success of the WC clinical sessions and
social events. They are charged with, but not
limited to the task of marketing and outreach for
clinics and social events, completing the
appropriate documentation required by SHP,
implementing all activities of the WC, and any
other task that is outlined in this protocol or
requested by SHP.

7. REQUIRED ACTIVITES:
Clinical
Services
HIV Testing
Syphilis
Testing/Treatment
Gonorrhea
Testing/Treatment
Chlamydia
Testing/Treatment
Mental Health and
Substance Abuse
Assessment
HIV Linkage to care
Referrals

8. REQUIRED ACTIVITES:
Community
Involvement
Community Advisory
Board
Qualitative/Quantitative
Methods
•Focus groups
•Surveys
•Quarterly calls
Meet with Community
Organizations
•Create sustainability
•Buy in
Planning groups
•Assess needs of
community

9. REQUIRED ACTIVITES:
Health and
Wellness
Support
Activities

10. Step by Step of Wellness Center
Sessions:
Enter waiting
area
Greeted by
staff
Complete
required
documentation
• Intake Well Being
Assessment
• Consent
Engagement
Each individual center will have their unique way of
functioning; however, there are steps that must occur.

11. Step by Step of Wellness Center
Sessions:
Reportable
STDs
Available
STD test
Process of
center
Intake Process

12. Step by Step of Wellness Center
Sessions:
The following steps of the Wellness Center process will vary on which tests
are being conducted and availability of volunteer staff at that time:
Licensed Medical
Provider
•Nurse and Practitioner
•Preliminary medical
assessment
•STD tests
•Wellness Exam
Mental
Health Well-
Being
Assessment
•Trained mental health
provider
HIV CTRS
•Certified by SHP

13. Cultural Competency:

14. STD/HIV Basics for the Louisiana
Wellness Center Project

15. HIV
Louisiana ranks #3
in the nation for
HIV case rates
2011
New Orleans #2Baton Rouge #3

16. HIV/AIDS
AIDS = Acquired Immune-deficiency
Syndrome
When the body can no longer infections and
the immune system has weakened, HIV can
progress to AIDS
HIV = Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HIV is a virus that affects the immune system
HIV damages the immune system, and makes
it difficult for the body to fight off infections
or diseases over time
HIV ≠ AIDS

17. HIV Transmission in LA
15%
46%
5%
33%
1%
Transmission Categories
Injection Drug Use
(IDU)
Men who have sex
with men (MSM)
MSM & IDU
High Risk Heterosexual
(HRH)
Pediatric/Transfusion/
Hemo-philiac

18. HIV Transmission
HIV
Transmission
Unprotected sexual
contact with an
infected partner
• Rips
• Breaks
• Sores
Fluids during sex
• Blood
• Semen
• Vaginal Fluid
Sharing Needles
Blood Transfusion
and Organ
Transplant
Breastfeeding
You CANNOT transmit HIV through touching, sharing drinks/food, sneezing, kissing, sweating, etc.

19. LA Rankings
Gonorrhea
• Ranked 1st in the nation
Chlamydia
• Ranked 3rd in the nation
Syphilis
• Ranked 1st in the nation

20. Chlamydia
Most commonly
reported bacterial STD
Transmitted through
oral, anal, and vaginal
sex
Called “silent disease”
because it often does
not show symptoms
•Men are MORE likely to
show symptoms than
women

21. Chlamydia Symptoms
Women
• Increased discharge
• Frequent/painful urination
• Pain during/bleeding after sex
• Lower abdominal pain
• Irregular periods
Men
• White/Cloudy discharge
• Frequent/painful urination
• Pain and swelling in testicles

22. Gonorrhea
Bacterial infection
transmitted through
oral, anal & vaginal
sex.
Similarly to
Chlamydia, most
people infected with
Gonorrhea do not
experience
symptoms.
Symptoms are MORE
likely to occur in
men, and usually
occur within two
weeks of infection.

23. Gonorrhea Symptoms
Women
• Green/Yellow, Foul-smelling
discharge
• Frequent/Painful urination
• Pain during/bleeding after sex
• Lower abdominal pain
Men
• White/Yellow discharge
• Frequent/painful urination
• Swollen Testicles

24. Syphilis
Like Chlamydia and
Gonorrhea, Syphilis is a
bacterial infection that
is spread during sexual
intercourse or genital to
genital contact.
Three stages: Primary,
Secondary, Late
Highly infectious: 1/3 of
persons who have sex
one time with someone
with primary Syphilis
will acquire Syphilis.
A person is 2-5 times
more likely to get HIV if
exposed when Syphilis
sores are present.
When not sufficiently
treated syphilis can
cause significant long-
term complications
and/or death.
If adequately treated by
a physician syphilis can
be cured.

25. Syphilis
Primary
•3 weeks to 3 months after
infection, painless ulcers
(chancres) appear at infection
site. They are highly contagious.
•Usual places chancres show up –
vulva, cervix, penis, anus, mouth.
They are not always easy to see.
•Ulcers take about 2-6 weeks to
heal without treatment.
•If left untreated during this time,
Syphilis will progress to the
Secondary Stage.
Secondary
•After chancres, symptoms
including flu-like illness, non-itchy
rash covering whole body or in
patches, flat warts on vulva and
anus, white patches on roof of
mouth, patchy hair loss.
•During this stage, syphilis is still
very infectious and can be easily
transmitted sexually. Symptoms
can occur for years.
•If left untreated in the secondary
stage, syphilis will progress to the
late stage
Late
•During the third stage, all
previous symptoms will
disappear.
•At this stage, heart and nervous
system damage, and death can
occur.
•Syphilis can be treated and cured
in the late stage, but damage that
occurred up to that time may not
be reversible.

26. Tests at WC
Gonorrhea and Chlamydia
First
Catch
Urine
Anal
Swab
Oral
Swab

27. Instructions for Self Administered
GC/CT rectal Swab
• 1. Carefully insert blue swab into rectum past the
sphincter and swab in a circular motion
• 3. Remove swab
• 4. Place swab in clear tube in rack with cotton tip
upward under sign “rectal”
• 5. Tell your provider you have completed the test

28. Syphilis
Venipuncture
HIV
Rapid
Test

29. Steps of Male Condom Use

30. Steps for Using a Female Condom

31. Female Condom Continued:

32. Female Condom for Anal
Intercourse
• FC2 (the female condom) is not designed or
approved for anal intercourse and its effectiveness
is not evaluated. Still, many organizations
encourage its use.
• Use of inner ring is optional
• Inner ring (or tip of condom) should be inserted
past sphincter muscle for maximum protection
• Finger or partner’s penis may used to guide
insertion