“Girl, no! You cannot get HIV like that!,“ exclaims YouTube star Todrick Hall in a new video for HIV BEATS, an upbeat and informative new series from #endHIV and Greater Than AIDS, made in collaboration with YouTube.
Featuring top YouTube influencers, the series debuts on the 35th anniversary of the first case of HIV/AIDS on June 5. HIV BEATS aims to connect with younger audiences about game-changing advances in HIV prevention, testing and treatment. The CDC reports people under 25 now account for a quarter of new infections in the U.S., and are among those least likely to know their status and to be on treatment if living with HIV.
RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Bob the Drag Queen, purrs seductively in his video about PrEP, a pill that prevents HIV. While Todrick, who has more than 2.1 million YouTube subscribers, sets the record straight about common misperceptions about how HIV is and is not transmitted, a continued source of HIV stigma.
Also featured in the fun and fact-filled campaign are Davey Wavey (YouTuber; 900k+ subscribers) on what it means to be “undetectable;” Zackary Drucker (I Am Cait; Transparent) on how HIV treatment improves health and reduces transmission; Catrific (YouTuber; 700k+) on preventing mother to child HIV transmission; and Amber’s Closet (YouTuber; 500k+) on HIV testing options. Collectively, the roster and partner organizations have a starting social reach of more than 8 million, a significant share of the population the campaign hopes to reach.
“HIV Beats is a millennial response from a generation that has never lived without HIV/AIDS,” said Zachary Barnett, Founder and Executive Director of the Abzyme Research Foundation which is running the #endHIV Campaign. “We are thrilled to unleash so much creativity in the HIV prevention space, and also introduce younger audiences to our HIV cure efforts.”
“An AIDS-free future is possible, but young people must be engaged,” said Tina Hoff, Senior Vice President and Director, Health Communications & Media Partnerships, Kaiser Family Foundation, which directs Greater Than AIDS. “HIV BEATS reaches young people where they are with the information they need to stay healthy, regardless of status.”
Catrific “Guess What? I’m Not Pregnant!”
To watch the video series, click on HIV Beats.
