Winner
PRIME – Making HIV History
Summary of work
The agency was challenged with changing behaviour in a population of gay men at high risk of becoming HIV positive. The solution was to target those with a >10% chance of becoming HIV+ in the next year and to tailor a lifestyle intervention that offered emotional and educational support through managed content. Accessing them through their mobiles was a key strategy because this group showed high levels of engagement with online mobile media for sexual purposes.
The intervention, called PRIME, included five digital programmes that addressed different sexual behaviours so members could switch intervention as their lifestyle changed. Content was developed and curated by the gay community, with monthly themes including happiness, habits, mindfulness, relationships and science fiction vs. science fact. 69 articles were uploaded to PRIME in only six months. Users were alerted to new content by a monthly text which also gave them priority access to HIV testing services. 89% of users said that PRIME has helped them to stay HIV negative. In terms of outcomes, PRIME users saw a 94% fall in HIV infection risk along with a >50% reduction in other sexually transmitted diseases.
Judges’ comments
We felt that this entry was excellent on all levels. The campaign showed success in a sensitive area of medicine with what can be a hard to reach audience. The judges were also impressed by the clear methodology in their approach resulting in content which clearly resonates with their audience – a lovely campaign that has become part of its users’ lives.
