New Media at the 2013 National African American MSM Leadership Conference

February 5, 2013 • 0 comments • By Aisha Moore, Communications Director, AIDS.gov and Meico Whitlock, AID.gov Consultant

Aisha Moore and Meico Whitlock

In January, more than 250 people convened at the 10th annual National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS and other Health Disparities

in Los Angeles, CA. The importance of new media in the fight against HIV/AIDS was highlighted in several conference sessions, trainings, and posters. The AIDS.gov team had the opportunity to talk with conference organizers from the National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities, Inc.

(NAESM) about the importance of the conference and its impact on participants.
Social Media Lounge: Using New Media to Reach Black Gay Men
The AIDS.gov team worked with conference organizers to promote a Twitter hashtag and to host a social media lounge where we provided one-on-one technical assistance to help attendees create plans for using new media in their agencies to reach African American MSM.
Many of those who came by were already using social media, but did not have specific social media plans. We encouraged them to use the NMAC Social Media Workbook and referred them to the new media resources available on AIDS.gov. In particular, we recommended that people:

Define their social media objectives;
Measure their objectives; and
Find out what tools their audiences are already using.

New Media Institute
At the conference’s new media institute, the AIDS.gov team worked with the National Black Gay Men’s Health Advocacy Coalition

(NBGMAC) to assist attendees in creating communications plans to disseminate information to their communities about major policies such as the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, as well as about issues such as biomedical HIV prevention.
New Media Examples
Also at the conference, we learned from participants about how they are using new media in their efforts to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For example, Kenneth Johnson from Georgia’s Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness shared his experience with using dating apps for partner notification purposes. Others also reported using dating apps for outreach and other services. To assist them with their planning, we referred them to National Coalition of STD Directors, which has guidelines for this t ype of work

.
In addition, the In the Meantime M en’s G roup

, a former AIDS.gov micro-grant recipient, shared with us how they implemented a text messaging intervention with over 1,000 people. Their “ITMT 411” text messaging service provides young black men who have sex with men, ages 18-29, with HIV/AIDS educational updates, testing locations, and times, as well as with responses to resource inquiries.
We also had the opportunity to learn about the Creating Responsible and Intelligent Black Brothers Fellowship (CRIBB) program, a leadership development program for young black gay men, ages 18-24. CRIBB provides participants with leadership training to strengthen their involvement in reducing HIV/AIDS and other health disparities within the African American community, and emphasizes how new media can help extend the reach of HIV programs.
Were you at this conference? What examples of the use of new media to address HIV did you learn about?
Didn’t attend? What can you tell others about using new media to reach black gay men with HIV messages and information?

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blog.aids.gov — HIV Policy & Programs. Research. New Media.

Using Video to Mark National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

February 5, 2013 • 0 comments • By Deb LeBel, Partnerships Specialist, AIDS.gov

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

(NBHAAD), observed annually on February 7, provides an excellent opportunity to build HIV awareness within and beyond African American communities.
Today, we highlight videos—both new and old—that are available through AIDS.gov and can be used to generate conversation about the disproportionate impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on African American communities.
Each year, individuals across the country take part in AIDS.gov’s Facing AIDS photo-sharing initiative. The goal of Facing AIDS is to reduce HIV-related stigma and to promote HIV testing. This year, more than 1,400 individuals and groups participated in Facing AIDS as part of World AIDS Day alone.
Today, we are releasing a special compilation video of photos from the 2012 Facing AIDS campaign. The video, “Facing AIDS for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day”, supports NBHAAD’s key messages. Please view and share this video in your local NBHAAD events and in other events commemorating Black History Month.

Other Videos Fostering a National Dialogue

Other videos also can be used to foster conversation during local NBHAAD observances. These include the following:

Message from President Obama on the Importance of HIV Testing —First released for National HIV Testing Day in 2009, this video message remains relevant, calling on all Americans to know their HIV status.

Addressing HIV Disparities Among Black Gay and Bisexual Men —Filmed during the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012), this video features a conversation between Dr. Ronald Valdiserri, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Infectious Diseases and Director of the Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Mr. Terrance Moore, Director of Policy and Health Equity at the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors , about the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on gay, bisexual, and other African American men who have sex with men and efforts underway at the national and state levels to address this disparity.

USG@AIDS 2012 Video —In this video, also filmed during AIDS 2012, Mr. Phill Wilson, Founder and Executive Director of the Black AIDS Institute , talks with AIDS.gov Director Miguel Gomez about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the role community organizations play in creating an AIDS-free generation.

Visit the AIDS.gov YouTube channel

for these and other videos.
Let us know about your use of video to support National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. How did you incorporate these videos? What videos did you create?