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Making it Count - A collaborative planning framework to reduce the incidence of HIV infection during sex between men

Duration: April 1997 - March 2009

In November 1996, the Terrence Higgins Trust convened the CHAPS Partnership, a network of HIV and AIDS organisations engaged in gay men’s HIV prevention work. CHAPS has developed a multi-agency National HIV prevention programme for gay men & bisexual men across England and Wales. Sigma Research is the research partner in this programme. One of the first projects of the partnership was the development of Making it Count, a collaborative planning framework and strategic plan for CHAPS. After initial publication in 1998, the framework was updated and expanded in 2000 and 2003. It will be updated and published for the forth time during 2008.

Making it Count identifies a reduction in the incidence of HIV infection during sex between men as the central shared goal of the CHAPS partnership. It describes the behavioural and biological factors which contribute to incidence, and identifies four as being feasible, ethical and realistic targets for HIV prevention programmes. The document then describes what we understand homosexually active men need in order to have control over these targets, drawing on research, health promotion practice and consultation with the gay men we work with.

Taken together, the aims of interventions can be summarised as an HIV and STI educated, aware, empowered and equipped population of homosexually active men who have access to clear, accurate and credible information and quality services.

The framework has been used to plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate the national HIV prevention work within CHAPS. It is used both by the CHAPS agencies and other health promoters to develop local planning consortia and prevention programmes. It also provides a commissioning framework for a number of Primary Care Trusts.

In 2001, the Department of Health’s National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV recommended Making it Count as the strategic framework for planning HIV prevention at both national and local levels.

The third, updated and revised edition of Making it Count was published in October 2003.

Making it Count is funded by Terrence Higgins Trust as part of CHAPS, a national HIV prevention initiative funded by the Department of Health.

Key contact:

CHAPS partners:
The Armistead Project
The Eddystone Trust
GMFA
Lesbian and Gay Foundation
Sheffield Centre for HIV & Sexual Health
Terrence Higgins Trust
Terrence Higgins Trust Cymru
Terrence Higgins Trust Midlands
Terrence Higgins Trust South
Terrence Higgins Trust West
Trade
Yorkshire MESMAC