San Jose, CA — On April 30th, 2018 a new public health campaign launched across the County titled “PrEP is For.” The bilingual campaign funded by the County of Santa Clara urges Latino men who have sex with men to get on PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, a daily pill taken by HIV-negative people to prevent HIV. The campaign is a series of five images, highlighting that PrEP is not just for the people featured in the ads, but for everyone.
“PrEP is an incredibly powerful tool for preventing HIV, and it’s safe and easy to take. By encouraging community members to educate themselves about PrEP and find a provider, PrEP is For shows how everyone can take control of their sexual health,” said Dr. Sarah Lewis, STD/HIV Controller for the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department.
“Latino men in the County of Santa Clara have one of the highest rates of new HIV infections. Many men who have sex with men are not aware of the resources available to them to get on revolutionary regimens like PrEP right here in the County” said Candelario Franco, Getting to Zero Project Manager. “Removing barriers to prevention is one of the most important components in combating the spread of HIV.”
Ads have rolled out in County of Santa Clara on buses, light rails, transit shelters, restaurants, convenience stores, bars and clubs. Static and video ads are also appearing on popular social networks like Snapchat, Facebook, Scruff, Instagram and YouTube. Collateral will be distributed at community events like Silicon Valley Pride.
All of the materials will point to the campaign websites, PrEPisLiberating.org and PrEPteLibera.org. They provide information ranging from how to talk to a provider to how much PrEP costs, regardless of immigration status, including providers that provide PrEP. “By encouraging community members to educate themselves about PrEP and find a provider, PrEP is For shows how everyone can take control of their sexual health,” said Dr. Sarah Lewis, STD/HIV Controller for the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department.
PrEP is For is organized by Getting to Zero Santa Clara County-Silicon Valley, a four-year initiative that will strive for Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Deaths related to HIV/AIDS, and Zero HIV/AIDS Stigma and Discrimination in the County of Santa Clara. It is a collaborative effort between the County of Santa Clara and community partners, including The Health Trust, with funding provided through the County Public Health Department.
Source: This article was published in www.http://gettingtozeroscc.org/