Get it on

In April 2007, a new CHAPS programme is launched, with the aim of reinforcing condom use among gay and bisexual men.

Background

The CHAPS partnership believes certain key issues need to be regularly addressed in its work with gay men. These are: Post-exposure prophylaxis, how HIV is transmitted sexually and condom use. As new men are continually joining the commercial gay scene or making contact through the internet these central topics should be revisited regularly, particulary as school-based sex education is known to be failing younger homosexually active men. Following the CHAPS condom promotion campaign of early 2005 Be confident Be covered., it is time for a new condom awareness programme: Get It On.

Most gay men use condoms most of the time. However, the proportion reporting any unprotected anal intercourse in the previous year has slowly risen over the last decade and currently stands at about 50%. While much of this can be accounted for by men in relationships who do not perceive themselves at risk of HIV infection, the fact remains condom use is not as consistent as it used to be. The CHAPS partnership felt it was time for a high profile campaign that would again stress the central position of condoms in gay life. It was also agreed that such a campaign should be ongoing and not limited to the usual three month life span of a typical CHAPS mass media campaign.

Campaign messages

The campaign includes a logo and slogan (‘Get it on’) that can be placed in a wide range of settings and will become an instantly recognisable prompt for condom use. This device is adaptable for a variety of occassions (Gay Pride, World AIDS Day, Valentine’s Day, etc), settings (sex venues, gyms, shops, outdoor advertising, etc), populations (men of different ages, ethnicities, body types, etc) and tailored messages.

To introduce the Get it on identity a simple message is being presented that aims to support condom use; “9 out of 10 gay men use condoms”. This is based on the finding from the 2006 Gay Men’s Sex Survey that 86% of men who had anal sex had used a condom in the last year. While this condom use may not always be consistent it is important gay men know that condom usage is still the norm, despite much talk of ‘barebacking’ and a fear that the traditional ‘safer sex culture’ might be weakening.

By attaching a simple, encouraging condom promotion message to attractive imagery, the new campaign has deliberate echoes of safer sex campaigns of the 80s and early 90s (campaigns that will, however, be unfamiliar to men under 30). Key differences are that a wider range of men are featured (from men in their early 20s to their 40s, as well as men who are smooth or hairy, black or white) and that ‘use a condom every time’ messages are absent: gay men are sophisticated to know that this is not always necessary, i.e. if there is no risk of HIV transmission.

The next stage

Having established the Get it on logo through the initial 15 week run of press advertising and supporting material, future advertising can feature either simply the campaign logo or more diverse imagery and different messages. As such the Get it on campaign is supremely adaptable.

Resources

As well as full page press advertisements in national and regional gay press there is, compared to the average CHAPS campaign, a much larger selection of supporting material available.

A web site (www.chapsonline.org.uk/getiton) explores condom-related issues in greater depth, such as access to condoms, condom failure, lubricant and tips on common condom-related user problems. The Exposed! magazine also looks in greater detail at condom use (it is a restyled and updated version of the magazine that accompanied the earlier Be confident. Be covered. campaign). Also available are A4 posters, condom packs, pro-condom icons for use on personal profiles, screensavers, adverts for gay internet sites, stickers (including large ones for use in sauna lockers), light boxes with illuminated Get it on logo for gay venues, and stencils (to decorate venues with the campaign logo).

Outreach support products available include key fob torches, large D4 sized panels for use on outreach stalls, temporary tattoos, condom quiz cards, campaign t-shirts and travel card wallets. These outreach materials are designed to faciliate conversations with gay men and the extent to which this is successful will be measured by an evaluation carried out by Sigma Research. Each man approached by an outreach worker will be asked to fill in and return a short questionnaire about the nature of the intervention they have experienced.

A detailed briefing about the campaign and its products is available in a pdf format. For details of this and to enquire about campaign materials please contact James Glavin on 0207 812 1791 or email james.glavin@tht.org.uk

For general enquiries about the Get it on programme, contact Campbell Parker-White at THT on 0207 812 1783, email campbell.parker-white@tht.org.uk

For more information about delivering effective health promotion to men who have sex with men, get a copy of The Field Guide (the companion guide to the CHAPS strategy document Making It Count) also from James Glavin at THT, email james.glavin@tht.org.uk