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New HIV campaign addresses complacency
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According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2008, approximately 56,000 Americans became infected with HIV and more than 14,000 died from AIDS. These figures suggest that every nine-and-a-half minutes a person is infected with HIV in the United States. It is believed that these rates of infection are increasing primarily due to a growing complacency among the public regarding the severity of the virus. Contributing to this belief is the misperception of HIV as a chronic disease, manageable with anti-retroviral therapies.
In order to counteract this trend, the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC announced in April a new five-year, $45 million national communication campaign called Act Against AIDS. It is the first national CDC HIV/AIDS communication campaign in more than ten years. The goal, according to Kevin Fenton the director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention at CDC, is “to put the HIV epidemic back on the front burner”.
The campaign is currently being released in phases, some to run concurrently, with each phase containing unique objectives and target audiences. The campaign will utilize mass media and direct-to-consumer communication channels, such as PSAs, text messages, radio and online banner ads, and bilingual videos in order to deliver key HIV prevention messages in a “compelling, credible, and relevant manner”. Educational and awareness resources will be included as well as risk reduction methods specific to those populations at greatest risk, such as African American, Latino and gay communities.
The kick-off phase of the Act Against AIDS campaign has already launched with the theme of “9 1/2 minutes”. This simple message stresses that in the United States, every 9 ½ minutes, someone’s brother, mother, sister, father, or neighbor is infected with HIV. The objective of this phase of the campaign is that individuals will “Get the Facts” about HIV and seek out resources to protect themselves and their partners. Because many of those whom are infected with HIV are unaware of their status, the campaign is working in conjunction with supporters of National HIV Testing Day (June 27) and additional testing days throughout the year which targets specific groups.
For More Info: CDC Launches New Act Against AIDS Communication Campaign
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