Rationale
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The seek, test, treat, and retain model of care (STTR) involves reaching out to high risk, hard to reach drug abusing groups who have not been recently tested for HIV (seeking), engaging them in HIV testing (testing), initiating, monitoring, and maintaining HAART for those testing positive (treating) and retaining patients in care (retaining). This model of care is based on previous research demonstrating that expanding HIV testing and reducing viral load among HIV+ individuals through HAART therapy can be effective in reducing the HIV transmission at a population level.
Projects
- Addressing HIV in the Criminal Justice System – This initiative funds twelve R01 applications that empirically test the “seek, test, treat, and retain” paradigm with drug abusers in criminal justice populations. Researchers are developing, implementing, and testing strategies to increase HIV testing and the provision of HAART to HIV seropositive individuals involved with the criminal justice system, with particular focus on continuity of HAART during and after community re-entry following incarceration.
- Addressing HIV among Vulnerable Populations – This initiative funds ten R01 applications that empirically test the “seek, test, treat, and retain” paradigm among high-risk, drug abusing, vulnerable populations in domestic and international settings. Researchers are developing, implementing, and testing strategies to increase HIV testing and the provision of HAART to reduce HIV transmission among high-risk, vulnerable populations.