October 8, 2014

CDC Unleashes New Campaign For HIV Treatment

Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.

You can live well with HIV. That's the centerpiece behind a new federal campaign aimed at getting people living with HIV to get moving. The Centers for Disease Control is calling its new campaign the "first of its kind"-and gave it an equally snazzy name: HIV Treatment Works.

The folks behind the campaign, which launched on Sept. 17, consulted input of more than 100 HIV-positive people, and is said to reflect "the diversity of people living with HIV and shows how treatment and care empowers people to lead full and healthier lives, and stops the spread of HIV," according to a White House release.

Among other other things, the campaign showcases personal people from who'd gone through the world of treatment, supplemented with advice and anecdotes. The effort spans online, print, TV, and outdoor media.

"Today, not only can HIV treatment save lives, it can help stop a national epidemic in its tracks," said Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention. "Our goal is to help everyone with HIV know the tremendous health benefits treatment offers to them and the protection it provides to their partners."

This 30-second ad can get you started. It's all rather simple, according to the smooth phrasing from the site. All you have to do is Get in Care, Stay in Care and Live Well.

"It wasn't easy finding out I had HIV, but deciding to start and stick to my treatment has helped me live a happier, healthier life," said Aaron Laxton, who appears in the campaign ads (here's his). "The idea of starting treatment can be daunting, but it's important to remember you aren't alone - and that by taking HIV medication every day and seeing your doctor regularly, you can stay healthy and keep doing the things you love."

You can also catch the personal stories of others like Angie and Yuri.

Here's a linked breakdown of the simple, three-step resource guide the campaign's online segment offers:

GET IN CARE

  • HIV 101 (http://1.usa.gov/1uu1Fex)
  • Take Care Of Yourself (http://1.usa.gov/1Drndio)
  • Protect Others (http://1.usa.gov/1sfXxCq)
  • Sharing Your Status (http://1.usa.gov/1qlem7w)

    STAY IN CARE

  • Understanding Care (http://1.usa.gov/1C1RsL8)
  • HIV Treatment (http://1.usa.gov/XIq7hz)
  • Cost of HIV Treatment (http://1.usa.gov/1uWfsfe)
  • Related Health Conditions (http://1.usa.gov/XUxh2B)

    LIVE WELL

  • Mental Health (http://1.usa.gov/1sfXF4W)
  • Substance Use (http://1.usa.gov/1sfXIh2)
  • Smoking (http://1.usa.gov/1wXzNUO)
  • Healthy Diet (http://1.usa.gov/1mowJxg)
  • Physical Activity (http://1.usa.gov/1Drnphr)
  • Family Planning (http://1.usa.gov/1pnTQCY)
  • Living with HIV: Travel Abroad (http://1.usa.gov/1mxFntM)

    For more information, go towww.cdc.gov/hiv

    by Kilian Melloy , EDGE Staff Reporter

    Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.

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