Fixing what's seen on da streets

This week I listened in on a teleconference with the Minnesota Department of Health's STD and HIV Section about the newly released 2008 STD numbers for the state (not so hot). We got the standard epidemiology standpoint, the charts, the graphs.

But I was glad to see that they also included a couple of presenters who talked about programs they're running that are successfully bringing the numbers down in certain neighborhoods.

One very cool program, run by the City of Minneapolis, is called Seen on da Streets. It focuses on people whose STD rates are high and use of health care is low: boys and men who are racial or ethnic minorities. Since the program began, it has reached more than 3,000 males with outreach workers - usually from the same neighborhood, relative age and life situation - at bus stops, parks, barbershops, you name it. These educators talk about STDs, safe sex and getting tested, something they can offer even without having the person ever enter a clinic.

And the program tries hard to speak the language of "da streets." They think about how teen males communicate, by cell phone, texting, MySpace, and use those channels for health messages and information.

Check out Seen on da Streets' presentation and this article on the organization and bigger issue.