Status Is Everything will represent Newark at the XVIII Annual International AIDS Conference in Vienna
NEWARK, N.J., July 6, 2010 – The African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC) is proud to announce that the XVIII International AIDS Conference taking place in Vienna, Austria July 18-23, 2010, has selected the Status Is Everything HIV testing social marketing campaign to take part in the conference poster exhibition on July 19, 2010. The AAOGC poster is titled, “Creating a social marketing campaign targeting African American men who have sex with men (MSM) in Newark, New Jersey, in an effort to increase HIV rapid testing within a high risk population.” AAOGC is the only agency funded by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, selected to take part in the six-day conference.
“Our campaign is making a difference in Newark, which is the nationally and internationally recognized epicenter of HIV infections in New Jersey. This is a tremendous opportunity for the AAOGC to be among international leaders in HIV research and prevention and it’s an international kudos to our agency for advancing HIV prevention strategies in Newark, NJ among high risk populations,” states Gary Paul Wright, Executive Director of the African American Office of Gay Concerns. Gary Paul Wright will be present and available to answer questions about the poster at the conference on July 19, 2010 between 12:30 pm – 2:30pm. For those who can not attend the conference, the poster will be published at a later date electronically on the conference website and as a CD-ROM.
Status Is Everything is a pioneering HIV testing campaign targeting African American men between the ages of 18-24 who have sex with men in the Greater Newark area. Status Is Everything is the first HIV social marketing campaign in New Jersey to combine new media and traditional media strategies including: text messaging, Twitter, Facebook, PSAs and large-scale outdoor advertising. Candidates can receive 24-hour access to local Newark-based testing centers three ways: by texting NJ and their zip code (NJ07102) to 36363, calling 1-866-HIV-CHECK, or by visiting www.statusiseverything.org. A key component to the campaigns success is featuring local African American men who self-identify as men who have sex with men, in the campaign’s original photography and PSA’s. The New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services Division of HIV/AIDS Services funds the campaign, as part of its efforts to target high-risk African American men. Results will be evaluated through the HIV Prevention Community Planning Support and Development Initiative of Rutgers University.
About the African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC)
African American Office of Gay Concerns has a mission to serve as a resource for the well-being of men of color, inclusive of, but not limited to the gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning communities through outreach, education and compassionate care. The African American Office of Gay Concerns is committed to delivering quality HIV/AIDS services to the Gay community in the Newark Area. We provide an array of services focused on changing individual behavior. For more information about AAOGC or “Status Is Everything”, please call 973-639-0700 or visit www.AAOGC.org.
Media Contact: Kimberlee Williams, FEMWORKS, 973-494-9705, kwilliams@femworksllc.com
Source: African American Office of Gay Concerns
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Tags: African American Office of Gay Concerns, Gary Paul Wright, Newark, NJ, Status Is Everything, Vienna, XVIII Annual International AIDS Conference
