We Can Stop HIV One Conversation at a Time: Talking Openly About HIV in Hispanic and Latino Communities

A national communication campaign from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

More than 220,000 Hispanics and Latinos are living with HIV in the United States. Gay and bisexual men, women, and young people are most at risk. While many Hispanics and Latinos don’t talk about HIV risk, prevention, or testing, studies show that nearly three-quarters want more information so they can talk with children and young adults.

Research has found that talking about HIV and AIDS is associated with increased condom use, testing, and knowledge about prevention—all of which are associated with fewer new infections.

We Can Stop HIV One Conversation at a Time/Podemos Detener el VIH Una Conversación a la Vez encourages Hispanics and Latinos to talk openly about HIV with families, friends, partners, and communities.

This campaign was developed with support from AIR communication and social marketing experts, working with the CDC across many stages of campaign development.

The campaign, featuring Hispanic and Latino men and women, was developed with input from hundreds of Hispanics and Latinos across the U.S.  Multi-channel, bilingual marketing integrates radio and cable TV PSAs, online and mobile phone ad banners, social media, public relations, national advertising in People en Español, national and local partnerships, and local community engagement programming.

In September 2014, AIR supported the CDC to plan and organize a gathering of Hispanic and Latino HIV/AIDS community organizers, leaders and city and state officials to launch the campaign at Viacom’s Paramount Screening Room in New York City. The event highlighted HIV/AIDS challenges, efforts to reduce transmission among Hispanics and Latinos, and the need to encourage Hispanics and Latinos to talk openly about HIV.

National partners include Latino Commission on AIDS, Farmworker Justice, AltaMed Healthcare Services, Hispanic Federation, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, People en Español, Tr3s, Viacom’s Latin youth music channel, the Hispanic Council on Aging, and National Community Health Partners. Local community engagement programs are underway in New York City, Miami, Houston, Charlotte, and Los Angeles. 

AIR’s support included strategic planning, creative material and PSA production, web design, message development and dissemination, media buying, partnership engagement, social and digital media strategy, implementation, and tracking marketing impressions metrics to evaluate campaign success.

The campaign is part of the CDC’s Act Against AIDS (AAA) initiative which seeks to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS to reduce new HIV infections among all Americans, especially those hardest hit by HIV.