A reboot of a local government-backed public health campaign, which highlights the four scientifically proven ways to prevent HIV, launches today in anticipation of the expected easing of all social distancing restrictions in July.
The Do It London campaign, delivered by the London HIV Prevention Programme (LHPP) and supported by London boroughs, will be visible across a range of outdoor advertising billboards in the capital in the coming weeks, marking the start of a summer of increased social interaction.
The ‘four sure’ methods of the combination prevention approach are:
- testing regularly for the virus;
- correct and consistent condom use;
- use of the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), the preventative HIV medication;
- for people diagnosed HIV positive, achieving an “undetectable” viral load via effective antiretroviral medication. This safeguards the health of people diagnosed with HIV and has the additional benefit of eliminating the risk of onwards viral transmission to their sexual partners.
HIV remains a major public health challenge in London. The latest figures show an estimated 37,000 Londoners are living with HIV.
The decision to relaunch the previously digitally-focussed campaign is based on the very positive evaluation feedback and impressive engagement metrics it achieved earlier in the year. The initial ‘Four Sure’ campaign, which ran between December 2020 and February 2021, drove over 250,000 page views to the educational Do It London website, which carries information about each method of prevention. Between December 2020 and February 2021, over 540 home testing HIV kits were directly ordered as a result of digital marketing by Do It London.
As London strives to deliver its ambitious target of zero new HIV infections by 2030, regular testing will be crucial in ensuring the estimated 2,000 Londoners living with an undiagnosed HIV infection are identified. This ‘Four Sure’ campaign spreads the message that HIV is preventable, that an HIV diagnosis is treatable, and that such treatment acts as prevention.
