The Education and Prevention Department of BASIC NWFL, Inc. is an innovative community partner in providing superior prevention and educational services to residents of the area, especially to those most at risk of contracting HIV or other sexually transmissible diseases. In accomplishing this mission, BASIC NWFL, Inc. provides a variety of educational opportunities tailored to meet individual needs. These services include the following.

* Community Educational Forums

*Community Outreach

*Get Real

All BASIC NWFL, Inc. education and prevention presentations are age and audience appropriate. The information we provide is presented in a manner that our audience can both understand and relate to.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION FORUMS

These are usually one hour educational programs presented to various groups such as schools, churches, youth groups, civic and community organizations, clubs, health care providers, correctional institutions, and others which are designed to provide an accurate overview on HIV/AIDS, its transmission and prevention, myths and fallacies about HIV, and high risk behaviors that can facilitate HIV transmission. Individuals interested in scheduling a presentation at their facility or organization can call:

The Education Department at BASIC NWFL, Inc. (850)785-1088. Ext 118

Topics discussed in this presentation include the following:

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* Transmission

* Prevention

* Testing

* Universal Precations

* Symptoms

* HIV Myths

* High Risk Behavior

* Body Fluids

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

This program relies on personal one on one contact in providing education as well as allowing an opportunity for individuals to ask questions and receive answers in a very confidential and personal manner. Individuals are also encouraged to seek voluntary HIV testing to learn their status. As part of it's community outreach, BASIC NWFL, Inc. also participates in and conducts health fairs throughout the six county service area.

BASIC NWFL, Inc. conducts outreach in all six counties of the services area, including Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington Counties.

Get REAL

Get REAL (Respecting, Empowering and Affirming healthy Lifstyles) is a program for men who are at risk of contracting HIV and is composed of two individualized sessions and one group session. During the two individualized sessions, a prevention outreach specialists works with a man who is at risk of contracting HIV in exploring how and why a person puts himself at risk. Once the person has a better appreciation of his risk, the specialist helps the person to develop at least one risk reduction activity as part of a risk reduction plan. The specialist assists the person in understanding his curent status by being tested for HIV, and then offers support and encouragement in practicing safer sex. During the group session,called VOICES,Video Opportunities for Innovative Condom Education and Safer Sex, men watch a video and discuss safer sex options, and specifically the effective use of condoms.This program which is originally designed for African American males & females is a single session video based prevention workshop designed to encourage correct and consistent condom use and improve condom negotiation skills among adults. It is a CDC scientifically proven effective intervention which can be used in a variety of community based settings.

Get REAL is considered an important service since majority of HIV and AIDS cases in the area have been male. Of these, almost 2/3 of the AIDS cases among males have attributed to MSM, Men Having Sex with Men, while almost 50% of the HIV cases among males have also been attributed to MSM. From 2002-2007, MSM cases increased by 41% while heterosexual male cases decreased by 83%. In Bay County, it is estimated that at least 1 in 51 White MSM are infected with HIV, while 1 in 15 Black MSM are infeced. In Jackson County, which has the next highest total of HIV/AIDS cases withen Area 2A, 1 in 98 White MSM are estimated to be infected, while 1 in 10 Black MSM are likewise estimated to be infected. It is for these reasons that the Area 2A Community Planning Partnership has designated Men as the most important target population for prevention