At a glance
Jurisdictions are leaning into targeted STI prevention and treatment strategies by focusing on the needs and interests of local communities and delivering partnerships invested in meeting people where they are.
October 2022
The Office of Communicable Disease of the Division of Population Health in Utah's Department of Health and Human Services (UDHHS) works closely with the Utah Navajo Health Systems and Uintah and Ouray tribes to provide training and conduct STD/HIV case investigations. And since 2020, UDHHS has partnered with Comunidades Unidas, a local Latinx community organization, to build bridges of trusted communication for education in sexual health best practices. This includes encouraging women to seek self-empowerment in personal relationships and offering guidance to help increase comfort when discussing sexual health topics regarded by most as private or taboo. Active plans are in the works to launch similar partnerships with local Tribal partners: UDHHS aims to promote and help sustain improved community sexual health by placing DIS directly into Tribal communities for the first time in the state's history.