PrEP4Love

Success and stigma following release of the first sex-positive PrEP public health campaign

Bibliographic Data

ID15099424
AuthorsLance C Keene (0000-0002-0597-9276, University of Chicago, corresponding author), Jessica M Dehlin (University of Chicago), Jessica Dehlin (0000-0001-5749-6738, University of Chicago), Jordan Pickett (0000-0002-4445-232X, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA), Jim Pickett, Kathryn R Berringer (0009-0008-7172-7668, University of Michigan), Iman Little (University of Chicago), Ashley Tsang (0000-0002-0174-6360, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA;), Alida M Bouris (University of Chicago), Alida Bouris (0000-0003-2087-3151, University of Chicago), John A Schneider (0009-0003-0553-3447, University of Chicago)
Year2021
Volume23
Issue3
Pages397-413
Publication date2021-03-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueCulture Health & Sexuality (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1369-1058 • E-ISSN: 1464-5351
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13691058.2020.1715482
PMID32212962
OpenAlexW3013565979
LanguageEN
Citations received35
References cited62

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective yet under-utilised method for preventing HIV transmission in high-risk groups. Despite ongoing social marketing to increase PrEP awareness, few studies have evaluated public responses. This paper contextualises negative responses to Chicago's PrEP4Love campaign. In February 2016, a sex-positive ad campaign called PrEP4Love was launched online and throughout public spaces in Chicago. A gender and sexuality inclusive campaign, PrEP4Love is intended to be culturally responsive and sex positive, while retaining a focus on risk reduction. Advertisements prominently feature Black sexual minority men, and Black transgender women, and were strategically placed in diverse Chicago neighbourhoods. In response, there were 212 new callers to the PrEPLine during the two-month study period. Negative responses were concerned with: negatively depicting Black homosexuality (4), general anti-LGBTQ comments (7), adverse effects on children (6), sexually explicit nature (5), and general stigmatisation of racial minorities (4). Discussion focuses on sex-positive frameworks, normalising intimacy, stigma and historical mistrust of medical and pharmaceutical institutions, and the social meanings of biomedical prevention technologies (e.g. PrEP) in relation to dominant norms of sexuality and gender. This study is the first to investigate public responses to a sex-positive PrEP campaign. More studies of PrEP social marketing are needed to evaluate targeted public health campaigns to guide future PrEP promotion strategies

Family medicine · Focus group · Homosexuality · Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV · Human sexuality · Men who have sex with men · Political science · Politics · Pre-exposure prophylaxis · Promotion (chess · Psychiatry · Public health · Public relations · Social marketing · Social stigma · Sociology · Stigma (botany · Transgender · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Gender Studies · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Medicine · Psychology · Sex work and related issues · Social Psychology