Current Projects

 Aintie Tia
“Women empowering women growing healthy babies.”

The Aintie Tia Program is a partnership with the Fort Worth/Dallas Birthing Project. So many pregnant women and teens have an aunt, “aintie” or tia, mother, grandmother, or sister that provides support to them during their pregnancy and after their babies are born.  Women helping women has been the way for so many, and the birth of a child is one of the most transforming moments in a woman’s life.  Read more . . . 

DFAN Women’s Health Initiative

The Dallas Family Access Network (DFAN) is a coalition of 13 medical care and social service agencies that promotes a system of care for HIV positive clients and those affected by HIV.  This collaborative effort began as a pediatric health care demonstration project funded in 1989 by the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health.

The Center for Community Health is conducting a needs assessment of female HIV+ DFAN clients. We recruited over 100 women to complete interviews about perceptions of HIV status, interpersonal issues regarding HIV status, and health care system/social support needs.  In addition, we are conducting focus groups to gauge perceptions of DFAN services and consolidate recommendations for improved care.  The interview and focus group results will be consolidated to make recommendations for service improvement. 

Dallas Cancer Disparities Community Research Coalition

The South Dallas community has identified reducing cancer disparities as a priority goal. Because successful approaches to eliminating these disparities require participation on the part of the affected communities, academic investigators and community partners have collaborated to develop the Dallas Cancer Disparities Community Research Coalition with the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating cancer disparities in South Dallas. This research project builds on a strong relationship between the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) and the Dallas community.  Read more . . .

HPV Vaccine Acceptability Study

Human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection that causes over 70% of cervical cancer, disproportionately affects women of racial/ethnic minority status in the United States. Despite our ability to prevent the condition, cervical cancer remains a pervasive problem in Texas, with significantly higher incidence and mortality among African American women. African American women are less likely to know about HPV than white women, and because of a lack of culturally-appropriate cancer and sexually transmitted infection information, African American women are also less likely to use such information to prevent and reduce HPV and cervical cancer risks. Read more . . .