# Presentation: 354159

## Developing, Designing and Disseminating a Syphilis Awareness Campaign Targeting MSM

**Eric Roland**
**Director of Education**
**Montrose Clinic**
**Houston, Texas**

- Montrose Clinic

## Project Goals

- Increase awareness of syphilis signs & symptoms among MSM in Houston
- Increase awareness of the modes of transmission of syphilis
- Inform MSM about existing syphilis prevention, screening & treatment services in Houston and motivate MSM to utilize those services

- Montrose Clinic

## Need for Campaign

- 200% increase in syphilis cases among MSM in an 18-month period (Jan 01-Jun 02)
- As much as 60% of those cases were in HIV-positive MSM
- Trend seen in other large urban areas in the United States, Europe

- Montrose Clinic

## Development of Campaign

- Rapid community assessment
- Gain insight on high-risk MSM
- Analyze assessment
- Determine focus of campaign materials
- Conceptualize design ideas
- Write potential slogans/messages
- Sketch potential graphic designs

- Montrose Clinic

## Rapid Community Assessment

- Snapshot of anonymous sex venues
- Utilized website www.cruisingforsex.com
- Identified over 70 anonymous sex venues
- Adult video stores, bathhouses, public parks/restrooms, fitness centers, internet
- Conducted site observations at venues
- Availability of condoms, lube, prevention info
- Description of surroundings and clientele

- Montrose Clinic

## Rapid Community Assessment

- Administered short survey to MSM
- Conducted at 7 different locations
- Utilized outreach staff workers
- 94 surveys in a 2-week period
- Aimed to measure attitudes, knowledge, community norms, and risk behavior
- 28 questions long
- Anonymous and self-administered

- Montrose Clinic

## Analysis of Assessment

- <footer>

**Analysis of Assessment**

- Syphilis is
- treatable
- and curable?

**21%**

**37%**

**34%**

**8%**

*Survey *
*Question #15*

## Analysis of Assessment

- <footer>

**Analysis of Assessment**

**Clear or milky **
**discharge from**
**the penis is a **
**symptom of **
**syphilis?**

**30%**

**20%**

**31%**

**19%**

*Survey *
*Question #18*

## Analysis of Assessment

- <footer>

**Analysis of Assessment**

**My friends**
**always use **
**condoms **
**for anal sex.**

*Survey *
*Question #11*

**36%**

**44%**

**8%**

**12%**

## Conceptualize Campaign

- 2 of 4 designs focused on behavior at anonymous sex venues
- Images needed to grab attention of men in sexually charged environments
- Slogans:
- “You think it always hurts to pee when you have an STD? Think again!”
- “You may get more than just a kiss behind closed doors! You may get syphilis”

- Montrose Clinic

## Conceptualize Campaign

- 2  of 4 designs focused on all MSM
- Images needed to focus less on images, more on prevention messages
- Slogans:
- “Syphilis...take action, get tested, it’s free and easy”
- “What you should know about syphilis”

- Montrose Clinic

## Testing of Preliminary Material

- Conducted focus groups
- “I really like the message”
- “I can relate to the message”
- “The information is useful to me”
- “Made me think about my own actions”
- “Images are appealing”
- Overall ratings ranged from 6.4 to 9.5 (10 point scale)
- Adjustments made to material based on results of focus groups

- Montrose Clinic

## Campaign Review & Approval

- Unanimously approved by Clinic Program Materials Review Panel
- Reviewed and endorsed by both Houston HIV Prevention Community Planning Group and East Texas HIV Prevention Community Planning Group
- Unanimously approved by Texas Department of Health Program Materials Review Panel

- Montrose Clinic

## Slide 14

- Montrose Clinic

## Dissemination of Materials

- 11x17 posters – full color, gloss poster stock
- Print quantities (3 designs)
- 300 in Spanish; 600 in English
- Locations
- 2 bathhouses, 1 sex club, adult video stores, bars and clubs, retail stores, CBOs
- Timeframe – November 2002-current

- Montrose Clinic

## Slide 16

- Montrose Clinic

## Dissemination of Materials

- 4x6 maxi cards – printed on both sides, full color, gloss card stock
- Print quantities (2 designs)
- 10,000 in Spanish; 20,000 in English
- Locations
- 2 bathhouses, 1 sex club, adult video stores, bars and clubs, retail stores, CBOs
- Timeframe – November 2002-current

- Montrose Clinic

## Dissemination of Materials

- 1x3 mini cards – printed on both sides, full color, gloss card stock
- Print quantities (3 designs)
- 2500 in Spanish; 7500 in English
- Used in condom packs, locations same as other plus special events (circuit parties)
- Timeframe – November 2002-current

- Montrose Clinic

## Slide 19

- Montrose Clinic

## Dissemination of Message

- Ran full-page cover advertisements in 5 different gay publications
- OutSmart – monthly magazine, Houston
- Texas Triangle – weekly newspaper, Austin/San Antonio/Dallas/Houston
- Houston Voice – weekly newspaper, Houston
- Q Texas – weekly entertainment guide, Austin/San Antonio/Dallas/Houston
- Eclipse – weekly entertainment guide, Atlanta/New Orleans/Houston

- Montrose Clinic

## Outcome Indicators

- 	Increase in syphilis testing at Montrose Clinic

- Montrose Clinic

## Resources

- Community Based Assessment: A Guide for HIV Prevention Workers
- 	by Kim Batchelor and Anne Freeman
- PDF available online at: www3.utsouthwestern.edu/preventiontoolbox
- Vilven Design Group, Houston
- www.vilven.com
- Bold Face Design, Los Angeles
- www.boldfacedesign.org

- Montrose Clinic