HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections

Photo by: Gareth Bentley
About Impact Solutions Resources Staff

Tremendous scientific advancements have been made in the last decade to prevent the transmission of HIV and improve the lives of people living with HIV. Today the world can see the possibility of an AIDS-free generation, but many challenges remain. In 2015 there were still 2.1 million new HIV infections and 36.7 million people living with the virus worldwide.

PSI is committed to taking an active role in creating an AIDS-free generation by implementing evidence-based, cost-effective interventions in collaboration with country governments and other partners.

We implement our HIV programs through a combination of preventative actions:  providing evidence-based biomedical, behavioral and structural interventions to reduce the burden of HIV. Our network members market high-quality, affordable products, such as male and female condoms, lubricants and sterile injecting equipment. We also provide high-quality health services such a HIV testing and counseling, voluntary medical male circumcision, ARV-based prevention and HIV treatment. Using our social marketing and social franchising expertise, we strengthen the public and private sector’s ability to provide these important HIV products and services to priority populations who are at risk of HIV infection. Since inception, our HIV programs have prevented millions of new infections and improved the lives of countless people living with, and affected by, HIV.

In 2013, our HIV and STI programs averted an estimated 254,792 HIV infections and over 10.5 million DALYs.

To address the burden of HIV in the countries where we work, PSI implements biomedical, behavioral and structural interventions using a combination of preventative actions. Read more about our interventions.

  • Behavior change communication: We promote behavioral change, reduce risky behaviors and address negative social norms through innovative communication activities.
  • Combination prevention: Combination prevention is the backbone of our efforts to deliver HIV prevention solutions at scale across the globe.
  • Condoms and lubricant: We use private sector marketing strategies to increase demand for and access to attractively packaged, affordable, and high-quality male latex condoms, female condoms, and water based lubricant.
  • Gender-based violence: Our network leverages HIV programs in a number of countries to address gender-based violence.
  • HIV counseling and testing: We provide HIV counseling and testing services through a network of directly and indirectly managed health service delivery sites.
  • Needle and syringe distribution: Our comprehensive harm reduction programs work to reduce the risk faced by people who inject drugs. 
  • Reproductive health/HIV integration: We offer contraceptive methods and services when and where other healthcare services are offered, to increase client access to the information and care needed to manage sexual and reproductive health.
  • Stigma and discrimination: We sensitize healthcare providers to care for  priority populations with respect and to offer them services that best fit their needs.
  • Treatment care and support: Since HIV testing and counseling acts as the entry point to HIV care and treatment, where we provide HIV testing and counseling services we work closely with treatment programs in the public sector.
  • Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC): We have launched and scaled up VMMC service delivery, communications and advocacy initiatives in  nine African countries.

Priority populations: Although we work with many priority populations, four populations are particularly central to our work: people who inject drugs (PWID), men who have sex with men (MSM) and female sex workers (FSW).

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