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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Beth L. Beck, MA, CHES¹, Lara Crutsinger-Perry, LMSW, MA¹, and Laura K. Lee Dellinger². (1) Department of Health, National Youth Advocacy Coalition, 1638 R Street, NW Suite 300, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009, 2023197596 ext. 20, bbeck@nyacyouth.org, (2) Metropolitan Group, 519 SW Third Avenue, Suite 700, Portland, OR 97204-2519

Issue: LGBTQ youth and young adults do not routinely test for HIV infection due to fear and societal discrimination. Youth and young adults comprise, especially those from communities of color approximately one-half of all new HIV cases in the United States. This presentation will explore the importance in the development of community, population based strategies in addressing the issue.

Description: The National Youth Advocacy Coalition developed a population based strategy which merged an organizational training model with a social marketing campaign. Eighteen community-based LGBTQ youth-serving organizations were organized into regional coalitons and participated in organizational capacity building trainings on the provision of HIV testing services to youth and social marketing. A two-week LGBTQ youth targeted HIV testing social marketing campaign was launched in each region in 2005.

Lessons Learned: Participating organizations experienced a 120% in the number of HIV test administered during the campaign period. Participating organizations reported an increase in the number of youth accessin their services through phone calls, "walk-in" visits, and number of HIV tests performed on youth including number of HIV-positive test results identified. The capacity of organizations to collaborate on a community-level was also increased.

Recommendations: The use of a social marketing strategy is an effective way to increase the HIV testing rates of marginalized youth and young adult population, especially when organizations and/or service providers collaborate on a community-level and are identified as "youth-friendly".

Learning Objectives:

• Enhanced knowledge and understanding of the issues of LGBTQ youth when accessing HIV testing services;
• Enhanced knowledge of the design and planning of a youth-focused social marketing campaign;
• Increase in knowledge regarding the results from a succesful implementation of an LGBTQ youth focused HIV testing social marketing campaign

Keywords: Youth, Social Marketing

Related Web page: youknowdifferent.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation