Promoting newly integrated VCT services to Caribbean youth

Issue: AIDS continues to be a leading cause of death among adults in the Caribbean. Yet in spite of the high HIV prevalence, only a fraction of people across the region have ever been tested.

Description: As part of a regional initiative, several Caribbean sexual and reproductive health (SRH) associations integrated HIV into their spectrum of services and programs. The introduction of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services at these SRH clinics generally received community support across the region, but uptake of VCT services varied greatly. To reach more people, various associations have implemented a range of creative promotional activities.

Lessons learned: In spite of local need, serving pre-existing clients and relying on word of mouth was often insufficient to generate uptake of new VCT services. Informed by focus groups and qualitative research, targeted marketing efforts did, however, help to significantly increase the number of clientele seeking testing at SRH associations. Innovative promotional activities included: installing condom dispensers in youth-frequented public areas in Suriname, a mass text messaging campaign among cellular users in Jamaica, Open House days with free VCT services in Haiti, and enlisting a local community figure to get tested publicly in St. Lucia.

Recommendations: Strategically crafted promotional activities can publicize new VCT services and motivate individuals to seek testing. Promotion is especially important in reaching youth, a key population in the Caribbean HIV epidemic. Marketing requires knowing the local epidemic, researching and testing message efficacy, and utilizing media appropriate to the local context.