Through the effective use of social media, a campaign by the sexual health program intended to boost awareness of HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) has influenced some peoples’ decisions to get tested.
Ads for the Got 8 Minutes TBay? campaign were posted on popular MSM social networking sites in the fall and winter 2015. The campaign promoted TBDHU’s fast, free, anonymous HIV testing, reminded users of the risks of unprotected sex, and encouraged safe practices - including regular testing.
“We want people to protect themselves and others by knowing their HIV status,” says public health nurse Ashley Belanger. “Anonymous HIV testing eliminates barriers to testing by allowing people to get tested without requiring any identifying information. It protects their privacy.”
Although the sexual health program regularly uses social media to reach the public, this social media campaign was a first for them.
“We had never done an online campaign targeting men who have sex with men,” Belanger adds. “We wanted the message to resonate so ad concepts were focus-tested with that target group. Their input was important.”
During the campaign, people who came to the TBDHU for HIV testing were asked if they saw the ads. Of those clients who indicated they saw the ad, the majority stated it influenced their decision to get an anonymous HIV test.
Although feedback from the campaign has been positive, more time is needed to determine its long-term impact.