For immediate useNov. 12, 1997 -- No. 846

Special to the Wilson Daily Times

Sexually transmitted disease prevention program in Wilson County celebrates first anniversary

CHAPEL HILL -- A lay health adviser program in Wilson County designed to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases will celebrate its first year of service to the community Nov. 15.

The anniversary celebration of “Respect and Protect” is from 1 to 4 p.m. at Wilson Memorial Hospital. The first Lay Health Adviser of the Year award will be presented. Dr. Ted Wilson of Wilson Community Health Center and Patricia Fitch of Wilson Opportunities Industrialization Center will speak, and the group Poltergeist will perform a song about a personal experience of sexually transmitted disease.

The “Respect and Protect” program encourages behavior changes that will result in lower rates of infection over time. Lay health advisers who live in the community are trained to ask, advise and assist friends and acquaintances who have concerns about sexually transmitted diseases. Through normal social interactions, the women encourage people to use condoms and to seek treatment if they suspect they have a sexually transmitted disease.

The program originated in Wilson through the Sexually Transmitted Disease Epidemic Prevention (STEP) Project at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Under the direction of Dr. James Thomas, principal investigator and associate professor of epidemiology, UNC-CH staff work with the Wilson County Health Department, Wilson Memorial Hospital and Wilson Community Health Center.

Since 1992, the STEP project has been guided by a community resource group of 15 community activists and representatives of local institutions selected for their involvement in Wilson's community activities, and their awareness of concerns of people at highest risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Because sexually transmitted infections were increasing most rapidly among black women, and because women have strong social networks, STEP's “Respect and Protect” Program involves and targets black women.

Between 1995 and 1997, the community resource group recommended 60 black women to train as lay health advisers; the women had been identified by neighbors and friends as being community leaders. After interviews, 21 women were invited to participate in a five training sessions. Nineteen accepted and all graduated in November 1996.

Saturday's event marks their first year of service to the community. Besides offering individual and confidential advice, the advisers have hosted several community projects to promote the program, including events at Holy Temple Holiness Church's Health Campaign Revival in April, the Health and Fashion Extravaganza at Wilson Agricultural Center in May, the Father-and-Son 2-on-2 Basketball Tournament and Health Fair in June and Churches United for Community Prevention at L.N. Forbes Tabernacle in August.

Their work has drawn attention outside Wilson. Last week, Denise Bulluck and Geraldine Blackston, both lay health advisers, were invited to speak in Indianapolis at the National Symposium of the Black Health Workers Caucus for the American Public Health Association.

The invitation came from Dr. Virginia Caine, health director of Marion County, who met the advisers last May on a site visit in Wilson for the federally funded project. During her visit, several lay health advisers and community resource group members offered short testimonies during a meeting at St. Alphonso's African American Center.

Rates of syphilis and gonorrhea remain higher in the South than any other region of the United States. In 1995, North Carolina had the third-highest reported rate of gonorrhea in the nation, the fifth-highest syphilis rate, and the seventh-highest chlamydia rate, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The same year, Wilson County had the highest syphilis rate and the second-highest gonorrhea and chlamydia rates in North Carolina, according to the State Center for Health Statistics.

“Respect and Project” is based on the “Save Our Sisters” project which trained lay health advisers in North Carolina in 1990 for breast cancer prevention in New Hanover County. The program was developed by Dr. Eugenia Eng, associate professor of health behavior and health education at UNC-CH. Eng directs the program for Wilson's lay health advisers, and Jadis Robinson coordinates their activities. The STEP Project is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases.

For more information, call the local STEP program office in Wilson at 919-291-3300.

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STEP contact: Darrah Degnan, 919-966-3000

News Services print contact: Karen Stinneford

News Services broadcast contact: Karen Moon