March 31, 2005

MOMS (Making Our Mothers Stronger), a UAB program aimed at helping mothers who are HIV-positive reduce the stresses of caring for themselves and their children, will host its second annual community awareness project. This year's event is a game show competition among teams representing each of the group's community partners, or POPS (Power of Partnerships) - the UAB 1917 Clinic, AIDS Alabama, AIDS In Minorities, Birmingham AIDS Outreach, the Family Clinic and St. George's Clinic. The MOMS and POPS Game Show is intended to be a fun introduction to the MOMS Program and to strengthen alliances with community partners that refer women to the program.

The event will take place Friday, April 1 from 3-5 p.m. at the UAB School of Public Health Ryals Public Health Building, Room 407, 1665 University Blvd.

The five-year, $1.8 million program, which began three years ago, is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Stress reduction interventions have been developed and researchers now are recruiting moms to participate in the two interventions - one focusing on coping with stresses of personal health care and one focusing on coping with stresses of parenting. All together, the program will enroll 240 women who are HIV-positive and who have children between the ages of 5 and 11. For more information, contact Williams at 205-975-5419.