Ladies’ night: Evaluating a drop-in programme for homeless and marginally housed women in San Francisco's mission district

BackgroundGender, race, class, and sexuality create a unique set of requirements for addressing HIV risk among homeless and marginally housed (HMH) women. Though studies have recommended both individual and structural prevention strategies tailored to meet the expansive needs of this community, there is a paucity of research on interventions specific to HMH women. Ladies’ Night is a service-rich drop-in programme for HMH women in San Francisco's Mission District.MethodsIn 2006, an exploratory evaluation was conducted to examine the programme's benefits and challenges and identify opportunities to advocate for participants. The evaluation was grounded in ethnography and social network theory. It used three qualitative data collection tools in its methodology: (1) interviews with 5 providers and 8 participants; (2) a self-administered survey completed by 7 participants; and (3) observation field notes from 9 Ladies’ Night sessions.ResultsEvaluation findings demonstrate the following: (1) as a harm reduction-based program, Ladies’ Night provides safety and social support for programme participants, fosters positive change and promotes health; and (2) the programme has two significant challenges—the social context of participants’ lives and resource limitations that affect service provision.ConclusionRecommendations call for allocation of resources to support: (1) sustainable women-specific services for HMH women in San Francisco; and (2) consistent assessment and evaluation of those services.