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Shared HIV Networks (SHiNe)

Shared HIV Networks (SHiNe)

What is SHiNe?

Shared HIV Networks, or SHiNe, is a program that utilizes the results of genotype testing, which like all tests related to HIV (CD4 cell counts, viral loads, etc.) are reported to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), to help:

  • Identify networks and communities experiencing increased HIV transmission.
  • Contact and connect with individuals within SHiNe Networks and partners to provide linkage to care, prevention, and supportive services.
  • Collaborate with SHiNe Network members and community partners to identify barriers and facilitators to access to prevention, treatment, and support services that contribute to HIV transmission.
  • Integrate and implement intervention efforts in collaboration with community partners that address barriers to services and gaps in HIV prevention and care.
SHiNe Lightbulb Without community help, the health department is in the dark. We know when HIV is spreading quickly, but we do not have enough information to effectively halt new transmissions. All we have is a general idea about what people in THE SPARK may need. Our first step is to reach out to this group and offer any assistance. From there, THE SPARK will begin to light the way by helping us piece together who else may benefit from SHiNe activities and resources. This should point us in the direction of THE LIGHT and THE GLOW. After receiving needed services, these two groups will pick up the torch and further illuminate the way until we reach as many people as possible in the social circles most susceptible to HIV acquisition.

Why focus on SHiNe Networks?

The presence of an HIV Network is a signal of potential increased transmission of HIV within a geographic area, subpopulation, or social network that indicates gaps in prevention or care. Research has shown that networks identified by molecular approaches, such as SHiNe, have had transmission rates that were, on average, 8-11 times the national rate and as high as 30 times the national average.*
 

SHiNe helps to identify these networks disproportionately impacted by HIV transmission before other methods of monitoring that rely on the number of diagnoses over a period of time, allowing for quicker intervention to interrupt the transmission of HIV in communities.

When a SHiNe Network is identified, it represents the tip of the iceberg for transmission within communities and by conducting outreach and working with impacted network members and trusted community partners, MDHHS can:

  • Connect with individuals in that SHiNe Network to ensure they have access to and are receiving the care and support services they need to live a healthy life.
  • Form meaningful partnerships with members of the SHiNe Network and community partners to assist with connecting partners for testing and referral to care or preventive services such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
SHiNe Iceberg Individuals within a SHiNe Network are visible at the surface level. Under the surface are undiagnosed people with HIV (PWH) and those diagnosed without a genotype test (transmission group), as well as those who are susceptible to HIV acquisition (greater social network). SHiNe is a starting point for intervention, with a goal of connecting those in a SHiNe Network to services, and through these efforts, make meaningful connections and interrupt the transmission of HIV in communities.

Resources

  • SHiNe Information Sheet for Providers

    To request SHiNe Information Sheets for providers to use to educate, inform, and increase awareness about SHiNe, use SHOARS to submit a supply order request. For information about SHOARS including how to register and submit a request, visit: Michigan.gov/SHOARS.

  • SHiNe Brochure for Clients

    To request SHiNe Brochures for clients to use to educate, inform, and increase awareness about SHiNe, use SHOARS to submit a supply order request. For information about SHOARS including how to register and submit a request, visit: Michigan.gov/SHOARS.

  • NASTAD Statement: Cluster and Outbreak Detection and Response & Molecular HIV Surveillance (NASTAD)

    The NASTAD statement on HIV Cluster and Outbreak Detection and Response (CDR) and Molecular HIV Surveillance (MHS) is a resource for communications, community engagement, and advocacy purposes to reflect common concerns, issues, and priorities held by health departments around the implementation of CDR and MHS strategies.

 

*HIV Cluster and Outbreak Detection and Response: The Science and Experience (ScienceDirect)