Office of HIV/AIDS & Viral Hepatitis

Prevention Programs

What are HIV/AIDS prevention programs?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds many programs to prevent HIV/AIDS. The CDC emphasizes three primary areas for HIV/AIDS prevention:

• Early detection of persons who are HIV positive and referral to treatment and care services.
• Prevention for persons living with HIV and viral hepatitis.
• Prevention for persons who are at high-risk for HIV and viral hepatitis infection.

For additional information, go to CDC’s Advancing HIV Prevention

What programs are going on in RI?

The Rhode Island Department of Health funds a variety of community-based prevention programs based on CDC’s best practices. These programs include:

• Prevention for Positives in a Clinical Setting
• HIV Prevention Case Management
• Health Education/Risk Reduction
• Harm Reduction
• HIV Counseling, Testing and Referral

In addition, two Rhode Island agencies have been funded directly by the CDC to provide HIV prevention services for injection drug users:

• Urban Leagues of Rhode Island (246 Prairie Avenue, Providence, RI 02905; Contact: Toni Roderick, 401-351-5000 x119, toni@ulri.org)
• MAP - Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitative Services, Inc. (324 Elmwood Avenue, Providence, RI 02907; Contact: Vinnie Velasquez, 401-781-9915, Vinniev66@hotmail.com)

For more details about prevention programs (including contact information), download our 2005 HIV Prevention Programs . For more information about Department of Health testing sties, download Rhode Island Department of Health Funded HIV Testing Sites .

What is the RICPG?

Formed in 1993, the Rhode Island Community Planning Group for HIV Prevention (RICPG) is a community group that works to identify and address the HIV prevention needs of Rhode Islanders. RICPG’s efforts start with a community planning process involving community members of varied backgrounds and experiences. Each year, RICPG revises the HIV Prevention Plan to reflect the current course of the HIV epidemic, paying particular attention to the behaviors that place people at risk for HIV infections. By looking in-depth at the risk behaviors, the plan sets priorities to direct future resources to the people most at risk for HIV infections.

For more information about the RICPG or to get involved, go to the RICPG website.

What is the ENCORE or syringe exchange/harm reduction program?

ENCORE (Education, Needle Exchange, Counseling, Outreach and Referral) is a program of the Rhode Island Department of Health, administered by AIDS Care Ocean State. The purpose of ENCORE is to prevent HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases by giving people harm reduction tools to lower their risk of infection. Harm reduction tools include:

• Clean syringes
• Bleach
• Alcohol swabs, cookers and cotton
• Condoms and other safer sex materials

In addition to harm reduction tools, ENCORE also provides:

• Anonymous HIV testing
• Referrals to drug treatment, medical care, and social services.
• Clothing and personal hygiene items

ENCORE is an anonymous program, open to anyone over 18 years old. The ENCORE van and outreach workers have regular visits at sites throughout the State. For updated site information 24 hours a day, go to AIDS Care Ocean State's ENCORE webpage.

For more Information abou the ENCORE program, contact:
Eli Reyes
AIDS Care Ocean State
401-781-0665
401-255-8563
elir@aidscareos.org