News Releases

NJCU Selected to Participate in National Latina Health Network’s Women’s Health and Leadership Project

New Jersey City University has been selected by the National Latina Health Network (NLHN) to participate in “CHOICES,” a women’s health and leadership project funded by the Office on Women’s Health in the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Utilizing a female-centered approach to discuss issues related to sexuality, gender, relationships, health, culture, and leadership, and working specifically with Latinas between the ages of 18-25 enrolled at minority serving institutions, CHOICES seeks to increase HIV prevention knowledge and reduce the risk of contracting HIV among the target population. New Jersey City University is designated a Hispanic Serving Institution.

NJCU’s participation in the grant-funded project will be administered by the University’s Council on Hispanic Affairs (CHA), an advocacy group that promotes awareness and understanding of Latin American cultures and traditions and provides outreach and mentoring programs. The CHOICES grant is CHA’s first and provides a unique opportunity to strengthen the organization’s capabilities. The grant also marks the first step towards developing a research arm for CHA.

Intended to strengthen NJCU’s capacity to prevent HIV infection and other health problems among its student population, NJCU, in collaboration with the NLHN, will implement a six-to-eight week educational program on the prevention of HIV/AIDS and sexually-transmitted diseases and infections.

The sessions, which will use role-playing, skits, and other theatrical models to engage students in a series of meaningful dialogues, will also address the social constructs that place young Latinas at increased risk.

Once NJCU students complete CHOICES training, they will present a theatrical program on the impact of HIV/AIDS for the University community on campus.

NJCU students who have participated in CHOICES will: serve as resources for their peers and community organizations; have built leadership skills in health promotion and prevention; and promote the health of Latinas and their families.

Based in Washington, D.C., the NLHN is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and strengthening networks of Latina leaders in public health, and building local and national community health partnerships.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site: nearly 34,000 New Jersey residents were reported to be living with HIV/AIDS in 2006; HIV disproportionately affects African-American and Hispanic women where racial/ethnic minorities account for 79% of those living with HIV/AIDS; one in 185 Hispanics/Latinos in New Jersey is living with HIV/AIDS; HIV/AIDS is the fourth leading cause of death for Latinas aged 25 through 44 years age in the United States; Hudson County has the second highest percentage of New Jersey women living with HIV/AIDS; and the 2005 census shows that together, even though black and Hispanic women represent 24% of all women in the United States, these two groups accounted for 82% of the estimated total of AIDS diagnoses for women in 2005.

News releases by Ellen Wayman-Gordon, and Kelly Resch, Office of Public Information.