Preventing HIV Feels Good In New Social Marketing Campaign Targeting Positives.

“I have HIV, and I have sex” is the opening line of a bold new installment of the groundbreaking HIV STOPS WITH ME public health prevention campaign. Reaching out to people already infected with HIV, the campaign is due to launch this week on television and in print in San Francisco.

Funded by the CDC, six HIV-positive real people explain in emotional detail how they prevent the spread of HIV to their partners. The spokesmodels each address a specific prevention behavior that relates directly to their personal life. “This is a very personal campaign that touches everyone who lives with HIV,” says David Windt, Vice President of Better World Advertising. “You can just feel the experience in the voice of Rene when he says that being rejected isn’t as bad as knowing you infected somebody.”

The campaign encourages people to visit the website http://www.hivstopswithme.org where the spokesmodels share their lives and discuss prevention related topics. People are encouraged to talk with the spokesmodels anonymously via the website, which also provides information on local healthcare and services available to HIV-positive people. Over 30 spokesmodels participate in the campaign currently running in Los Angeles, Boston, Orange County, Long Beach, and the City of West Hollywood, CA.

Developed by Better World Advertising (http://www.socialmarketing.com) for the City of San Francisco Department of Public Health, HIV STOPS WITH ME, now in its third year, has proved successful in modeling beneficial behaviors and attitudes which reduce the spread of new HIV infections. In San Francisco, the campaign focuses on populations with the highest rates of infection, primarily gay and bisexual men and transgenders.

Comprehensive evaluations from West Hollywood, Los Angeles, and San Francisco have shown consistent and dramatic results. The most recent San Francisco evaluation released in September 2002 shows:

— Almost all respondents felt that the campaign was memorable (98%), convincing (93%) and personally meaningful (87%).

— 56% of HIV-positives were more likely to use condoms with HIV-negative or unknown status partners after viewing the commercial.

— 47% of respondents were more likely to believe that they have a responsibility for keeping their partners HIV-negative.

— Nearly 37% of respondents were more likely to disclose their HIV status to their partners prior to having sex.

Campaign evaluations are available for download at http://www.hivstopswithme.org