Background:
Adequate health care services are available to young females, but young males normally do not seek out health care services and maybe unaware of their risk of contracting an STD infection.

Objective:
Identify the geographic areas in Rhode Island with the largest incidence of gonorrhea and chlamydia infections. Plan and implement an STD intervention directed toward males in the areas of Rhode Island with the greatest incidence of infections with the goal of enrolling at least 100 males.

Method:
In 2004, the STD epidemiologist worked with a GIS programmer to address map 2003 STD data. Ninety-three percent of the cases were accurately mapped. Maps based on census tracts were created and the areas of highest STD incidence were identified. Various agencies were approached for collaboration on this intervention. The Office of Minority Health, the Office of Communications and the HEALTH Laboratory all agreed to collaborate on this project with the STD Program. In October 2005, a family health van affiliated with the Office of Minority Health visited four Minority Health Promotion Centers located in the areas of highest STD incidence to educate young males on STD related issues, as well as providing free STD testing to participants.

Result:
Forty-five males were supplied STD prevention counseling and offered urine-based gonorrhea and chlamydia testing, all of which accepted. One male was positive for chlamydia.

Conclusion:
Although the number of males educated in STD prevention in this project was not as high as hoped, males were enrolled from all the sites participating. Improved advertisement of the events may have increased the enrollment.


Implications:
Collaboration between agencies was essential, as this project would never have been accomplished without it. Positive affiliations between the STD Program and other agencies were created and it is believed that these affiliations will lead to improved STD interventions in the future.