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March 2007
YouthResource and GLBTQ Initiative e-News Update
Feature: You Know Different - Youth HIV Social Marketing Campaign
By Mark Hill, Training and Technical Assistance Specialist
National Youth Advocacy Coalition - March 2007
DO YOU KNOW YOUR HIV STATUS? You probably know that HIV infection can be prevented by practicing safer sex, limiting sexual partners and not sharing needles. But have you ever had an HIV test? Do you know your HIV status? National statistics show that while the overall rate of HIV transmission is falling, it continues to rise among youth ages 13-24. All youth can benefit from knowing their HIV status and modifying their behavior to reduce their risk of infection. However most youth as well as most adults do not know their HIV status. In 2006, experts on HIV and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a new recommendation that all people over the age of 13 receive HIV testing as a part of their routine health care.
The National Youth Advocacy Coalition (http://www.nyacyouth.org) has partnered with CDC to develop You Know Different, the first national social marketing campaign to increase HIV testing among youth and young adults. The Campaign specifically targets African American youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ).
History of You Know Different
You Know Different is the first youth HIV-testing social marketing campaign to directly involve youth in its development. This campaign was created for youth by youth and NYAC engaged youth in every stage of the campaign development and implementation.
NYAC, along with the marketing firm Metropolitan Group, conducted ten youth focus groups. Six focus groups assessed the barriers that prevent youth from accessing HIV testing services. From the focus groups, we learned that the barriers to gay youth accessing HIV services were: denial, fear, stigma, and misinformation. Denying risk factors makes you feel safe. Being fearful of an HIV positive diagnosis prevents testing. Twenty-five years later, HIV still has a bad stigma. Many youth and adults still lack information about HIV.
The social marketing focus group realized no commercial or radio message actually focused on HIV testing.  Condom use messages were out there but messages on HIV testing were rare. The youth suggested messages appear in various forms of media. They suggested messages that were simple, direct, and somewhat grim. They also suggested any images be age-specific. In order to come up with an image that represented the youth, they brought in items that represented them, including pictures of their bedrooms, friends, etc. This is called an ethnography exercise and it assisted Metropolitan Group in coming up with the image. After all the suggestions were considered the youth approved the campaign image and slogan to the left.
To read more about the campaign visit http://www.youknowdifferent.org.
For more information on HIV testing in your area please visit the CDC's National HIV testing resource website at http://www.hivtest.org/index.htm
Announcements
Join Is for the National Day of Silence, April 18, 2007
The Naitonal Day of Silence is an annual event held to commemorate and protest anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools. Students and teachers nationwide will observe the day in silence to call attention to the discrimination LGBT and ally students face everyday. In its 11th year, the Day of Silence is one of the largest student-led actions in the country.
For more information on the National Day of Silence, please visit: http://www.dayofsilence.org
The 2nd Annual One Voice Summit!
Organized by Advocates for Youth, along with Population Connection, SIECUS and the Sierra Club, the One Voice Summit is an advocacy conference focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights, environmental justice, and bridging the divide between domestic and international advocacy efforts. Youth and adult activists from all over the country will meet in Washington D.C. from April 21 through April 23, 2007 to develop advocacy messages in support of international family planning, comprehensive sexuality education, and environmental protection issues.
Summit participants will attend informational and skills-building sessions with topics such as:
- sex education & international family planning policies
- clean water, global warming and the impact on reproductive health issues
- HIV/AIDS and reproductive health
- lobbying, advocacy, utilizing the media, and community organizing
On Monday, April 23rd, Summit participants will use their new knowledge and information to lobby Members of Congress. For more information about the One Voice Summit, email beth@advocatesforyouth.org.
2007 GenderYOUTH Leadership Summit
In the past 10 years...
More than 51 YOUTH WERE KILLED because of their gender identity or gender expression.
Most were young PEOPLE OF COLOR, from LOW-INCOME communities, and LGBT.
More than half of their MURDERS REMAIN UNSOLVED.
Gender is a Human Rights issue.
Bridge the Gap: Gender Rights / Human Rights, the 2007 GenderYOUTH Leadership Summit, is an action-oriented, three-day educational gathering in Washington, D.C. from May 17-19, 2007 for youth and students working to get gender recognized as a fundamental human right.
Join other academics and activists in discussions about gender stereotypes, gender and race, the emerging US human rights movements, and the love-hate relationship between feminism and queer theory.
Register for Bridge the Gap and participate in the 12th Annual National Gender Lobby Day and connect with other youth to share ideas, pool resources, and take action!
Visit http://www.gpac.org/youth/summit/index.html for more information.
GenderTOUR
GenderPac is having their GenderTOUR. As part of reaching out to LGBTQ youth and allies, Riki Wilchins, Executive Director of GenderPac, travels the country, speaking to communities about how discrimination and violence caused by gender stereotypes affect us all -- gay and straight, feminist and transgender, youth and people of color. To get more information on GenderTOUR, or to schedule a GenderTOUR event, call 202-462-6610, email GenderTOUR@gpac.org, or visit http://www.gpac.org/youth/riki.html.
April 2007 GenderTOUR Dates:
April 3, 2007
Pittsburgh, PA
University of Pittsburgh
w/ Riki Wilchins
Details TBA
April 13, 2007
Minneapolis, MN
Children As They Are
w/ Taneika Taylor
Details TBA
AFY Summer Internships!!!
Advocates for Youth has summer intern positions available for the GBLTQ Initiative, the Young Women of Color Initiative, the Youth Activist Network, the Development Department and for the International Division.
Click here to read all our internship listings.
You can help Advocates for Youth with a contribution today. To donate, visit http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/about/donatetoday.htm
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