Bringing Sexual & Reproductive Health to Latinos

Evaluating a Lay Health Advisor Model for improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes for Latino youth and adults in Wisconsin

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Full Project Name:Use of a Lay Health Advisor Model to Bring Sexual & Reproductive Health Justice to Latinos in MilwaukeePrimary Community Organization:Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, Inc.Primary Academic Partner:Julia Lechuga, PhD, Psychiatry and Behavioral MedicineAward Amount:$200,000.00

Award Date

January2012

Project Duration:30 months

Project Description Narrative:

Latino families face significant barriers to information about and access to preventive reproductive and sexual health care. Institutional and social barriers, personal health beliefs, and a lack of culturally competent services can place Latinos at a greater risk for adverse health outcomes, including unintended and teen pregnancies, sexually transmitted disease, HIV infection, and breast and cervical cancer. To reduce health disparities, it is imperative to increase access to culturally competent and effective preventive health care.

Through this project, partners aim to evaluate the implementation of a Lay Health Advisor Model and inform understanding on how to reduce barriers to replication in other areas of the state in order to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes for Latino youth and adults in Wisconsin.

Community partners: CORE/El Centro's Proyecto Salud Program, Holy Angels Old Catholic Church

Outcomes & Lessons Learned:

Recruited partners and community health workers (CHWs) with expertise to oversee project implementation, evaluation, and sustainability, ensuring project curriculum would meet the needs, culture, and values of the target community
Conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with 72 community members to refine and identify how to replicate the Reproductive Justice and Sexual Health Latino Home Health Party model, creating a revised model called Cuidandonos Creceremos mas Sanos (CCmaS), or "Growing Healthier Together," that consist of information and skill-building modules about reproductive and sexual health
Trained 36 CHWs in the curriculum, documenting recruitment of 141 hosts and 498 facilitated CCmaS home health parties that reached 1,217 unduplicated participants
Conducted outcome evaluations, documenting a more positive attitude among participants toward speaking with their children about sexual and reproductive health and cancer screening
Developed methods of dissseminating educational information through three 30-minute radio presentations and methods to reach professionals, hosting a conference for researchers and health professionals at the Center for AIDS Intervention Research as well as a presentation at the American Psychological Conference Division 45