By Robert Muscolino, Health Promotion & Community Development Officer – Gay, Bi & MSM Health, Queensland Council for LGBTI Health.

Rising rates of HIV notifications in Queensland and increasing community discussions about PrEP, providing the context for the development of the Queensland Council for LGBTI Health’s (QC) PrEP campaign, a community-driven initiative aimed at raising awareness about PrEP and HIV prevention for gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) (cis and trans).

First launched in 2015, a first for Australia, a 100% community-led approach continues to drive the PrEP campaign that became known as ComePrEPd.

QC has engaged the community in all aspects of the campaign’s inception, construction, and execution; including the ongoing engagement of diverse Queensland community members, within its storytelling component.

Storytelling aims to educate and empower the community, by sharing real-life experiences about PrEP while sharing personal and honest insights around navigating sexual health. Storytelling key campaign messaging includes; PrEP stigma, cost access barriers, HIV stigma, Medicare ineligibility, affordability, PBS access, condom reinforcement, regional access, and Closing the Gap access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Additional website content includes FAQs, the basics of PrEP, ‘what to expect when seeing a clinician’, links to PrEP studies, and detailed information about how to access PrEP on the PBS or via online importation. An extensive state-wide directory includes categories: PrEP prescribers, Medicare ineligible, Closing the Gap, and PrEP pharmacies.

The website also links to ASHM’s Australian PrEP guidelines and important information on the PAN low-income support scheme.

Untransmittable equals Undetectable (U=U)

In 2020, ComePrepd embraced and expanded to include U=U awareness within its

campaign messaging, following consultations with PLHIV. Key messaging includes; zero risk of HIV transmission when a person with HIV sustains an undetectable viral load for six months or more. The online resource is aimed at building personal skills of both positive and negative MSM as well as attempting to reduce HIV stigma. The Q&A style blog answers questions including when is HIV undetectable, what is a viral load, what is the U=U consensus statement, with additional information on adherence and monitoring.

New for 2024

The most recent phase of the campaign will feature 11 new community members from a range of communities sharing new online stories, posters and videos for both PrEP and U=U. Extensive focus testing and community consultation suggested a shift of storytelling to embrace the individual storyteller’s personality, while still delivering important sexual health messaging to our communities.

Stories are featured on the ComePrepd website and promoted via social media outlets: Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and LGBTI Media. Trained outreach volunteers reinforce this messaging by attending venues (including sex on premises venues) and log into online apps to further increase awareness about PrEP.

The ComePrEPd website can be found at: comeprepd.info and will be updated with the new phase of the campaign in the near future.

Acknowledgement

QC acknowledges all the Queensland community members who volunteered their time and provided valuable input to making ComePrepd possible.

Published: January 2024