A report from the DC Department of Health on citywide HIV campaigns

Half of adult residents living in Washington, DC, learned something new about HIV from the city’s five-year HIV education and prevention campaigns, according to findings of a DC Department of Health study reported on in the Washington City Paper.

The study looked at the success of three different citywide campaigns: “DC Takes on HIV,” which uses social media to education about the virus; “Ask for the Test,” which encourages testing; and “Rubber Revolution,” which provides free condoms throughout the city.

The survey polled 800 residents ages 20 to 64. Results showed that the campaigns achieved results, with 71 percent of respondents saying they were aware of the free condoms because of the campaign, 28 percent saying they used condoms more often, and 27 percent saying they got tested for HIV thanks to the campaigns.

In recent years, the article points out, HIV statistics in the district have started to improve. In 2008, there were 1,180 new cases of HIV, but that number declined in 2012 to 680.