Black Voices: User-Generated Content and Storytelling to Reach the Black MSM Community for HIV Prevention, Care, and Treatment

Background: In the U.S., black individuals are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. In particular, black men who have sex with men (MSM) are especially hard hit, representing more than half of all annual estimated new HIV infections among blacks.  AIDS.gov developed a communication strategy focused on user-generated content by and for the black MSM community. We identified “influencers” in the black MSM community and invited them to share their stories of living with HIV and/or working to prevent the spread of the epidemic. This storytelling approach aimed to engage and retain people living with or at risk for HIV. The series “Black Voices” included video and narratives and was shared on our blog and social media platforms, as well as the social media platforms of each of the participating individuals.

Program background: AIDS.gov is a Federal program that provides information on HIV prevention, testing, and treatment programs, policies, and resources through a variety of online communication channels.  AIDS.gov is funded through the HHS Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund as a mobilization effort to reduce health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. Our partnerships with federal, national, state, and local HIV/AIDS agencies form the cornerstone of our communication planning and implementation activities.

Evaluation Methods and Results: As a result of these efforts, we experienced an increase among our existing visitors on our social media platforms and an increase in engagement with our content. By leveraging the social networks of the influencers, we expanded our reach to new audiences and linked them to HIV testing and treatment services.

Conclusions: Federal agencies should explore social media collaboration to extend the reach of health information in communities that face health disparities. Voices from disproportionately affected communities can support communication of complex health issues.

Implications for research and/or practice: The results of this project can inform others working with hard to reach populations. Those who are trying to integrate their audiences voices into their voices can use the lessons learned from this project in their work.