HIV rates in St. Clair and Madison counties continue to be among the highest in the state of Illinois. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that one in four HIV-infected individuals who are currently unaware of their infection and, therefore are not receiving services they need to stay healthy and to protect their partners. As a part of the larger Get Tested, Illinois! health social marketing campaign, this East St. Louis focused campaign targets three sub-populations of high risk African Americans: 1) men who have sex with men (MSM); 2) heterosexual women (Het); and 3) people living with HIV (PLWH).
The goals of the campaign are two-fold. Firstly, we hope to motivate high risk African American women and MSM to get an HIV test and return for their test results. This is extremely important so individuals can become aware of their HIV status. Secondly, the aim of this program is to encourage people living with HIV to stay healthy and connected with appropriate care and treatment.
The Cyber-Safety Project is an internet intervention targeting African American Men who have Sex
with Men in St. Clair County ages 20 and older of known or unknown status, who are currently sexually
active outside the context of a mutually monogamous relationship. HIV health education staff regularly
visit Internet chat rooms frequented by African American men who have sex with men. They participate in
conversations about safer sex behavior, reducing HIV transmission and acquisition risk, and HIV testing.
The Cyber-Safety Project utilizes HIV prevention in creative ways to increase HIV-related awareness and
knowledge, and to positively influence attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Additional uses for internet
program: to recruit participants and to collect data, use e-mail distribution lists to promote other
prevention programming and to provide tracked resource and referral services.
