Billboards -- Awareness or Stigma?

By Robert Breining

November 14, 2010

One of the reasons I decided to become so vocal about living with HIV is because in my neighborhood of Levittown, PA I don't see any HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns. I would only see billboards on 95 when I would travel to the city for my Dr. appointment or for soccer practice but not in my own neighborhood. I have lived here for a little over 5 years and I never seen an AIDS awareness billboard. Until one day this past July I was driving in the car with my partner on RT 413 on the way to my mothers house and caught the word HIV out of the corner of my eye on a billboard. We drove past it too quick for me to read it. I was super excited to see this. I knew we would be passing it again on the way home and all I had to do was remember to look at it. So when we did pass it on the way home I read the following words.

"You don't have to use IV drugs.
You could be injecting HIV."

I was at a loss for words. I thought I was going to see something that was promoting people to get tested or to use condoms. I honestly think that these billboards should be something that humanized HIV/AIDS. Something that reminds you that HIV/AIDS is still an issue. This billboard left me with a bad feeling. A week after I saw the billboard for the first time I snapped the above photo. The following day it was removed an replaced with another ad. I have been keeping this photo on my phone so I could blog about it since July.

I am curious to see if my readers think the billboard above promotes Awareness or Stigma ?

In this blog I wanted to introduce you to two of my friends that have used billboards to promote HIV/AIDS awareness with a simple but powerful messages.

My friend Bob Bowers has created this amazing poster contest called "What if it were you ?" What if it Were You? is an HIV/AIDS poster contest designed to inspire youth to cultivate and communicate a more truthful, and inclusive perception of HIV/AIDS, promote prevention and compassion and aid the eradication of youth misconceptions and apathy. What if it Were You? aims to compel youth to recognize and renounce stereotypes and stigma, and dispel misguided beliefs about not being at risk. The contest is intended to empower youth to discover and define their own interpretation of the significance of HIV/AIDS and design a poster using words and/or images to portray their point of view and deliver an HIV prevention message that will be effectively received by their peers. Allowing youth a voice and a means to convey their message will undoubtedly result in communication methods most likely to command the attention of and have the utmost influence on their peers. Some of these amazing posters have been made into billboards and have been seen on buses around the Madison, Wisconsin area. Visit What if it were you ? to see more amazing posters.

About a month ago Tom Donohue founder of Who's Positive announced they will be taking submissions from people infected and affected by HIV and placing 5 billboards similar to the boards they put up when they first launched Who's Positve. More information will be forthcoming, but to submit yourself to be on a billboard in your town email your name, contact information, story and photo to billboard@whospositive.org

I would love to create my own billboard campaign one day. It is important that we use all means of advertising to reach people who are living with HIV and those who are unaware of how to protect themselves. I tip my hat to these two gentlemen because what they are doing is saving lives. I am happy to not only call them my friend but also a fellow warrior in this fight.

Send Robert an e-mail.

Get e-mail notifications every time Robert's blog is updated.

10 Holiday Gifts for Anyone HIV Positive

My "Does HIV Look Like Me?" Video

What Does HIV/AIDS Stigma Look Like in Your Life?

More on Stigma and HIV/AIDS

New! TheBody.com App

My Health Tracker

Medication and Health Reminders

Assess Your Risk for HIV

U.S. ASO Finder

10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Begin HIV Treatment

Getting to Undetectable: People Living With HIV Share Their Stories

HIV Management Today: Mental Health & HIV, the Uncharted Territory

Get TheBody.com in the Palm of Your Hand

Day One With HIV: "I Had Never Actually Met Anyone Who Was Positive"

More >>

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 500 5th Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10110. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.

Billboards -- Awareness or Stigma?

"You don't have to use IV drugs. You could be injecting HIV."

"You don't have to use IV drugs.
You could be injecting HIV."