Prepared for Positive
A Campaign to Increase HIV Testing Uptake - “Informed and empowered, regardless of the result”
Created by ACT
This campaign aims to address identified barriers to HIV testing:
● HIV-related anxiety
● Misinformation or lack of knowledge of HIV and associated prevention strategies
Prepared for Positive also promotes positive health decision-making:
● Encouraging uptake of mental health counselling
● Establishing a regular HIV testing routine
Prepared for Positive is a health promotion campaign designed to increase uptake of HIV testing services among cis and trans gay, bi and queer guys. This campaign leverages social media networks and physical resources to share key messaging related to HIV prevention.
An Evidence-based Intervention
This campaign is a direct response to Toronto-based data collected through Sex Now - Canada’s largest GBT2Q men’s health surey (administered by collaborative partner, CBRC).
Of Sex Now’s 2018 respondents in Toronto who have accessed STBBI testing (93% of all respondents), 31% of respondents did not access STBBI testing in the last year. Some of the most common reasons why respondents delayed or avoided testing and treatment services include:
Too busy to get tested.
There are limited testing hours.
Too stressed about test results.
Long wait times at sexual health centers.
Live too far from testing services.
Among the list of barriers, “Too stressed about test results” is a healthcare access indicator that ACT chose to work to improve by developing and implementing a health promotion campaign.
The Campaign: Informed and empowered, regardless of the result
Prepared for Positive is centred on sharing relatable narratives of positive HIV diagnosis and living a long, healthy life.
Watch the videos on the Campaign Website
These storytelling videos engage with service users and bring them to the Prepared for Positive webpage for self-directed learning and connections to care. Three models were recruited to be photographed, filmed, and to share their lived experiences with HIV. Ten further community members in Toronto were recruited to provide written responses to questions about living with HIV. These contributors were solicited online through ACT’s social media and chosen to reflect the diverse community of cis and trans gay, bi, queer guys in Toronto.
Prepared for Positive also consists of ACT’s “My Routine HIV Testing Plan” resource and online educational resources.
Promotion
Engagement with the website is furthered through thematic social media promotion and partnerships with Toronto pharmacies, clinical spaces and community health centres. ACT’s mental health counsellors and outreach team members also refer to campaign tools in response to service users indicating high levels of HIV-related anxiety and/or difficulty accessing regular STBBI testing and treatment services.
ACT further promotes Prepared for Positive through its innovative Beach Outreach efforts at Hanlan’s Point (a popular beach among cis and trans gay, bi, queer guys in Toronto). ACT directly engages with community members to forward safer sex and harm reduction activities at this venue on a regular basis.
Clinical Implementation Guide
An implementation guide was developed to train and orient participating pharmacy and clinical managers. They are tasked with sharing campaign resources and supporting service users in completing a Routine HIV Testing Plan. ACT started with pharmacies and clinics who have supported previous campaigns and will target clinics and pharmacies in targeted zones with higher HIV prevalence (including Parkdale, Scarborough, and North Etobicoke).
Pandemic-Related Barriers
COVID-19 significantly disrupted campaign implementation and evaluation. Healthcare providers and pharmacists were difficult to engage while social distancing restrictions made implementation difficult.
These activities will resume once restrictions have been lifted and it is again safe to engage with healthcare providers in clinical spaces.
Resources Required
Human Resources
Campaign development:
1 Project Coordinator
1 Community Trainee
Contract designers:
Videographer
Web developer
Graphic designer
Implementation:
1 project coordinator
1 community trainee
Pharmacy and clinical managers
Financial resources:
Campaign development budget: $9000
Web development: $3500
Graphic design: $500
Videography: $4500
Models: $300 ($100 for 3 models)
Knowledge gathering compensation for participants living with HIV: $200 ($20 for 10 participants)
Printing: $500
Web updates: up to $1000
For further information, please contact:
Mike Smith
Gay Men's Health Systems Coordinator, ACT
msmith@actoronto.org
416-340-8484 ext. 455
543 Yonge Street, 4th Floor
Toronto, ON
M4Y 1Y5