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Publication Profiles

There are people like me who will see that, and it will just wash over them’: Black sexual minority men’s perspectives on messaging in PrEP visual advertisements

Citation

Kalwicz DA, Rao S, Modrakovic DX, et al. ‘There are people like me who will see that, and it will just wash over them’: Black sexual minority men’s perspectives on messaging in PrEP visual advertisements. Cult Health Sex. 2023;25(10):1371-1386. doi:10.1080/13691058.2022.2157491

Implementation stage:

Pre-Implementation

Implementation outcomes reported:

Acceptability

Continuum target addressed:

PrEP initiation, PrEP persistence

Geography:

Washington-DC

Study Participant Classification:

Community member(s)

Plain Language Objectives

The researchers wanted to learn how Black sexual minority men viewed the words and slogans used in HIV-prevention advertisements. They asked what information, tone, and discussion of condoms would make future messages clearer and more acceptable.

Plain Language Abstract

Public-health campaigns often feature Black sexual minority men in advertisements for pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, but the written messages may not answer their questions or feel relevant. Researchers held four focus groups with 18 HIV-negative Black sexual minority men in Washington, D.C. Participants reviewed messages from three large campaigns and discussed the wording rather than the images. Four themes emerged. Participants wanted more basic information about PrEP and clear ways to learn more. They preferred simple, direct slogans and messages that present PrEP use as normal rather than stigmatizing. Views differed about including condoms: some participants saw value, while others thought the relationship between condoms and PrEP needed clearer explanation. The findings suggest that future advertisements could improve acceptability by using unambiguous language, addressing common questions, normalizing PrEP, and explaining why condoms appear in a message. The study assessed reactions to advertisements; it did not test whether revised messages increase awareness, clinic visits, or PrEP use. The themes reflect 18 focus-group participants and are not estimates for all Black sexual minority men.

Key Takeaways

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