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Infertility Prevention Project - Region VI

The Region VI IPP is a collaborative effort of the state STD, Family Planning and Public Health Laboratories programs in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The Region VI Infertility Prevention Advisory Committee (RIPAC) oversees the activities of the Region VI IPP. RIPAC is comprised of one administrator from each state's Family Planning, Public Health Laboratory, and STD divisions. RIPAC also welcomes participation and observation by several ex-officio non-voting members, including the OPA Regional Program Consultant for Family Planning, the national laboratory consultant, and several other representatives from state health departments. The RIPAC meets in person two times per year, and conducts conference calls as needed to explore issues, keep abreast of new information related to Chlamydia, develop guidelines and standards, and provide recommendations. Cardea, an OPA Regional Training Center in Austin, provides regional administration, coordination and support of the IPP in Region VI. The CDC provides on-going technical assistance with current information on testing technology, surveillance, and advances in treatment. In addition to the full committee, RIPAC has three subcommittees in which Region VI IPP work is completed, the data and surveillance committee, the clinical and training committee, and the laboratory committee.

Data & Surveillance

The Data Subcommittee manages all aspects of project data management, analysis, and reporting. This includes creating and modifying Regional Program Objectives concerning data collection, collecting state quarterly data files, and implementing special analysis projects. Cardea's data analyst works closely with the data committee, state STD/FP and information technology staff, and CDC concerning supplemental analyses and dissemination materials on CT/GC positivity.

Recent IPP presentations and products using Region VI data are provided below.

National STD Prevention conference March 2010

• Chlamydia Positivity Among Young Hispanic Men & Women Seen at Texas Border and Non-Border Family Planning Clinics, 2008 PDF 86KB

National STD Prevention Conference, March 2008

• Coggins, Mundt, and Fine. Chlamydia among women aged 15-24 years attending New Mexico Infertility Prevention Project family planning clinics, 1997 - 2007: Changing trends over time PDF 326KB
• Curtiss and Fine. Chlamydia Screening in a Charter School: Components of a Successful Collaboration PDF 326KB
• Fine, Longfellow, and Rigol. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Testing in Louisiana's Infertility Prevention Project: Before and After Hurricane Katrina PDF 62KB
• Mack, Fine, and Weiner. Trends in Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Among Women Aged 15-24 Years Region VI FP and STD Clinics, 1996-2007 PDF 326KB

Other regional analyses

Below are titles and links to recent IPP state and regional analyses involving Cardea staff and Region VI project area representatives.

• Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status: Individual-Level and Area-Based Risk Factors for Gonorrhea in Region VI IPP, Part II. Region VI RIPAC meeting, Albuquerque, NM, October 2008 PDF 175KB
• Race, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status: Risk Factors for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea in Region VI IPP. Region VI RIPAC meeting, April 2008 PDF 233KB
• 2007 Region VI IPP—Summary Results. Region VI RIPAC meeting, April 2008 PDF 326KB
• Region VI IPP Data—Recent Issues and Uses. National IPP meeting, Spring 2007 PDF 179KB
• IPP Innovation: Chlamydia Screening in Louisiana Charter Schools. Region VI RIPAC meeting, Spring 2007 PDF 82KB
• Texas Charter Schools: CT/GC Screening Project. Region VI RIPAC meeting, October 2006 PDF 65KB
• Screening Coverage in Louisiana Family Planning Clinics, 2005. Region VI RIPAC meeting, October 2006 PDF 80KB

Lab Services

The Laboratory Subcommittee, composed of the RIPAC laboratorians, is the primary engine for creating, reviewing, and modifying laboratory-related regional program objectives. This sub-committee keeps the larger RIPAC abreast of changes in laboratory and testing technology updates, including new methods of testing and changes in results reporting. The laboratory sub-committee also advises members on CLIA compliance.

Clinical Services

The Clinical/Training/Newsletter Subcommittee is responsible for creating and reviewing all regional objectives relevant to clinical aspects of IPP. This subcommittee also reports on the progress and completion of performance measures. The clinical subcommittee is responsible for some of the major components of the regional semi-annual newsletter, Chlamydia Challenge. The subcommittee determines a theme for each newsletter, and solicits or assigns authors for the articles. The clinical subcommittee reviews each state's needs assessments and targets areas relating to infertility prevention for training needs.