TGP was created in 2006 by African American women who were part of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force. Since then, TGP has reached hundreds of African American women in the Pittsburgh area. Responses to TGP parties have been highly positive. The program builds on the strengths of women and helps them to support one another in staying HIV-negative. It also brings HIV testing and counseling directly to women, rather than asking them to go to an office for an HIV test. It’s important that women know their HIV status as soon after infection as possible. There are free treatments for HIV that work best when infection is caught early. People who have HIV and are treated early usually live long and symptom-free lives.
Mary Hawk, DrPH, is a visiting assistant professor of behavioral and community health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. She has worked with TGP since its start. In 2009, she began a study to see how well TGP worked. Dr. Hawk helped the original group of women who created TGP to recruit 149 African American women to take part in the study. The results showed that women who went to TGP parties improved their scores on surveys that tested what they knew about HIV risks. Women who went to parties also reported increases in how often they used condoms during vaginal sex. In addition, 87 percent of women who attended parties were tested for HIV, and all of the women who were tested returned to get their test results.
These findings tell us that a model like TGP may be an important way to reduce HIV infections among African American women. It may also increase the number of women who get tested for HIV. If you would like to learn more about The Girlfriends Project, contact Pamela Smith at 412-345-7456, ext. 576.
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