Frank Messages Emphasize Importance of Teen HIV-Testing Effort
When the Adolescent AIDS Program at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y. began targeting teens with an HIV testing initiative several years ago, its "in your face" messaging may have been confusing or offensive to adults, but it hit home with inner-city youth.
Ambiguous birds-and-bees messages were never entertained. Instead, in-depth market research showed that to get the attention of at-risk teens in this tough urban market, the messages had to be delivered in "their" language.
The result was a grassroots campaign, launched by Med-isphere Communications in New York, that used hard-hitting, edgy phrases like "hittin' the skins" and "knockin' boots" as references to sex. Teen street soldiers were trained to educate other teens about the consequences of unsafe sex and the importance of HIV testing.
This bold initiative is achieving impressive results in two key areas by:
- inspiring frank discussions among teens about the importance of safe sex and getting tested; and
- boosting interest in the Montefiore's adolescent AIDS program. Calls to the hotline jumped to 2,000 per month during the campaign from 100 before the campaign.
The effort soon will be expanded to other major urban markets, including Baltimore, Los Angeles, Washington, Philadelphia and Miami.
Street Marketing
Its focus on testing (prevention is the most common focus) and teen-based peer education is what differentiates this effort from other youth-focused AIDS initiatives, says Dr. Donna Futterman, director of the adolescent AIDS program.
During the campaign's first phase in 1997, aggressive street marketing efforts by 100 youth volunteers prompted more than 500 Bronx-based schools and stores to provide brochures on the importance of teen HIV-testing.
Phase two of the campaign in 1998 evolved into the theme, "HIV. Live With It. Get Tested." That theme supported a week-long testing initiative in May and involved street marketing and a town hall meeting. The town hall meeting, which attracted 300 teens and aired on three local cable stations, recently received a 1999 Tony Cox Award for excellence in local cable programming.
The program was hosted by a radio station deejay popular among teens and encouraged candid discussion about safe sex, HIV and relationships. A troop of teen actors performed scenarios highlighting the tough decisions teens have to make about condoms, going to an HIV testing clinic and dealing with a friend who has HIV.
Throughout the program, teen educators discussed how important it is for teens to learn their HIV status and doled out advice on everything from condom use (including a demonstration of putting on a condom) to recent advancements in HIV treatment.
The teen advocacy approach works best with youth because messages are delivered in a non-judgmental, non-preachy tone, says Dr. Futterman.
Teen-Tested Strategies
This campaign begs a few obvious questions. Why hasn't teen advocacy been used before in adolescent AIDs campaigns (since it has been shown to be effective in tobacco and drug prevention efforts)? How "in your face" can the strategies get without offending parents?
Dr. Futterman offers several responses. Most of the focus on youth AIDS efforts has been on prevention rather than testing because testing clinics are often overwhelmed and it takes significant resources to develop and maintain teen advocacy programs.
Mostly, however, a teen advocacy program takes vision, community buy-in and patience with teen issues.
The Bronx community rallied around the campaign's focus on HIV testing with churches, schools and local businesses distributing brochures and displaying posters. But this is New York. Other communities may not be as open to speaking candidly about adolescent sexuality.
To avoid offending, it's important to conduct market research before launching a campaign like this, says Douglas Stroup, SVP of Medisphere.
He also insists that the messages must use hard-hitting language that teens commonly use for sexual intercourse. "Even though [adults] don't want to admit kids are having sex, it's our job [as communicators] to help them be smart. Most new HIV infections occur by the age of 25."
Using adolescent AIDs statistics as a community call-to-action also will be an important strategy. For instance, teenagers in urban markets with high minority populations are at the highest risk for contracting HIV and while the rate of infection in other age groups has declined nationwide in the last few years, teenagers are contracting HIV at about the same rate, according to federal health data.
(Montefiore Medical Center, Dr. Donna Futterman, 718/882-0322; Medisphere Communications, Douglas Stroup, 212/213-4211)
Youth AIDS Campaign Gets $1.5M Boost
This year the Montefiore Medical Center's Adolescent AIDS Program caught the attention of the federal government, which has earmarked $1.5 million to expand it into five markets. That's a far cry from the $50,000 private funding the program relied on in 1997 when it was launched. The government has taken notice, according to Dr. Futterman, because of the program's customizable strategies that include:
- Provocative, youth-friendly marketing materials that are well researched;
- Alliances that involve clinical resources and community-based AIDS agencies.; and
- The program's focus on two at-risk minority groups-African-Americans and Hispanics.