Targeted Outreach for Women Act

The Targeted Outreach for Pregnant Women Act (TOPWA) program connects high-risk or HIV-positive pregnant women to prenatal care. The program provides HIV testing, HIV prevention education, substance abuse treatment, and education on the benefits of antiretroviral drugs to reduce transmission of HIV. Service providers are community-based organizations experienced with outreach in their area, with an emphasis on peer-based, culturally sensitive, non-judgmental outreach. Women are contacted through community leaders, referral processes with providers (Healthy Start, drug treatment centers, Children’s Medical Services, and local county health departments), or through outreach in public venues (beauty salons, parks, and laundromats). Women are offered on-site HIV testing and education, and pregnant TOPWA clients are linked to prenatal care and other social service programs. Transportation assistance is available for clients, and referrals are tracked through the birth of the baby to ensure completion. The TOPWA program has also provided services in local county jails, offering HIV and pregnancy testing to female inmates and offering referrals upon their release.

The goal of the Targeted Outreach for Pregnant Women Act is to improve prenatal care among high risk and HIV-positive pregnant women in order to reduce the number of babies born with HIV-infection and prenatal drug exposure.

The TOPWA program is available in twelve Florida counties. Over 131,147 women have been screened to determine their eligibility for TOPWA services and provided HIV prevention education. Close to 20,000 women have been enrolled in the program and connected with prenatal care and other services. TOPWA providers have conducted 26,000 on-site pregnancy tests and 15,400 HIV tests, identifying 5,800 pregnant women and 280 HIV-positive women, 29% of whom were pregnant. Between January 2004 and April 2005, 16 HIV-positive women in the program gave birth, and only one infant (6%) was reported to be HIV infected.