Beauty Salons & Other Non-Traditional Partners Become Important in HIV Prevention

The Women’s Collaborative of Greater Chicago (WC) is a prevention program that increases access to HIV prevention and primary care services for African-American and Latina women in Chicago by bringing services to these communities by teaming up with beauty and nail salons, barbershops, beauty supply stores, and hair braid shops.

How it works: The mission of the Women’s Collaborative is to provide African-American and Latina women with the tools to live a healthier life.

The vision of the Women’s Collaborative is to effectively connect African-American and Latina women on the south and west sides of Chicago to prevention education, prevention services, and a seamless connection to care to reduce the numbers of women being infected with STDs and HIV.

The WC strives to achieve this vision through the following goals and activities:

• To empower and motivate women to protect themselves and know their status
• To provide a bridge of information connecting members throughout the community by building relationships
• To educate salon workers and customers about HIV
• To provide safer-sex baskets, palm cards, and confidential customer care cards for participants
• To provide group and one-on-one counseling and rapid HIV testing
• To provide referrals to other social and medical services within the community including family planning and contraceptives, mental health and domestic violence services, substance abuse treatment options, and breast cancer and blood pressure screenings.

Current Agency Partners:
• Christian Community Health Center
• South Side Help Center
• Project VIDA

The Women's Collaborative also partners with IDPH, CDPH, Le Penseur Youth & Family Services, Inc., and an array of business partners in the HIV testing social marketing campaign, Stopping AIDS Is Everyone's Business. The collaborative also provides training to the business partners in HIV education. This campaign aims to bring HIV awareness, prevention education, and testing to the 87th Street Corridor on the south side of Chicago.

Funding: The Women’s Collaborative of Greater Chicago receives generous financial support from the MAC AIDS Fund, National AIDS Fund, and Chicago Department of Public Health.

Questions?: For more information on testing sites or how you can become involved, please contact Hannah Merchant at (312) 922-2322 ext. 525.

Thank You to our Generous Supporters:

MAC AIDS Fund

Chicago Department of Public Health

National AIDS Fund

For HIV Testing and Services, Click HERE

Para Pruebas y Servicios de VIH, Presione AQUÍ