The Fortune Society

Given the likelihood of COVID-19 remaining an endemic disease among high-risk populations, establishing effective mitigation interventions will be critical to stemming community transmission. Criminal justice-involved individuals are extremely important to reducing community-based SARS-CoV-2 transmission due to their increased risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 while incarcerated and their likelihood of living in congregate settings after incarceration. The investigators will evaluate an onsite Point-of-Care SARS-CoV-2 testing and education strategy in a corrections-focused community-based organization and its impact on improving testing uptake, mitigation behaviors(e.g. mask wearing, hand hygiene, social distancing, vaccine uptake when available), and cost-effectiveness.

The proposed study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that will rigorously evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of delivering a multimedia evidence-based intervention (WORTH) and streamlined HIV testing to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with Black/African-American (hereafter referred to as Black) women drug users in probation sites in New York City (NYC), compared to streamlined HIV testing alone. Repeated assessments will occur at baseline and 3, 6, and 12-months post intervention. The primary outcomes will be to reduce cumulative incidence of biologically confirmed STIs (i.e., Chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomonas and the number of unprotected sex acts.