Hartford HIV Identification and Linkage Group History

In 1999, Hartford-based HIV/STD prevention and treatment service providers, community based health and youth agencies, and local youth began a consortium called the Hartford Youth HIV Identification and Linkage Group (HYHIL). This group was an offspring of the University of Connecticut Health Center and Connecticut Children's Medical center (CCMC/UCHC) Pediatric and Youth HIV program.

The primary goals of HYHIL are:

1. HIV/STD preventive education to youth in Greater Hartford
   
2. To offer youth-centered HIV/STD counseling and testing
   
3. The early detection and identification of HIV among youth, and
   
4. Linking HIV/STD positive youth into care and case management support.

For over seven years, HYHIL has collaborated in innovative prevention efforts reach out to high-risk youth in the Greater Hartford area. HYHIL is comprised of the following partners:

• Charter Oak Health Center
• CCMC/UCONN Pediatric and Youth HIV Program
• Latino Community Services
• Hispanic Health Council
• Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective
• State of CT Department of Public Health STD Control Program
• Community Health Center Association of CT
• Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center Adolescent Medical Services

In the Spring of 2007, HYHIL collaborated with health centers based in several Hartford Public Schools to launch a pilot health and wellness program called the Health Interactive Project (HIP) to deliver preventive HIV/STD awareness and education. The HIP program creatively presents important health messages through theatrical presentations to groups of high-risk students in alternative education programs. HYHIL also offers students HIV/STD screenings in the schools at these events. Through this program, we have reached hundreds of students to provide HIV/STD awareness, education, and health screenings. As a result, we found a 10% positivity rate for Chlamydia among the students and our certified HIV counselors identified one HIV-positive student, who was immediately provided counseling and access into the medical care system.