By Megan DePutter, Positive Prevention Coordinator

I had a great time at Wednesday night's Positive Prevention training class. I facilitated two presentations, one of which addressed how social media can be used effectively for Positive Prevention work. Social media, or interactive online tools that promote two way communication on the web, such as blogs, facebook, twitter and you-tube, create opportunities for dialogue on subjects that are difficult to discuss. Myths, stigma and misinformation about HIV proliferate on the web, and social media creates a space in which to challenge stigma, clarify misleading information, and guide the otherwise passive interpretation of material.

The evaluation of the HIV stigma campaign concluded that social media can:

Respond directly to misleading information and to explain connections to the HIV stigma-related attitudes and HIV transmission risks. Personal stories both in the blogs and the facilitator videos allowed campaign messages to come alive in a direct way with the facilitators and blog participants essentially serving as role models for sharing and addressing HIV stigma-related challenges.

However, not every social media tool is created equal when it comes to social marketing. The evaluators found that where material was passively absorbed, on spaces such as you-tube, where staff were not actively participating in the dialogue around the messages that were being shared, there was often confusion or misinterpretation around the true meaning of the message. Spaces promoting active conversation and two-way dialogue – on blogs, for example – might provide the very best forum for discussing HIV & AIDS.

Social media can also create opportunities for support – between PHAs, community members, community associations and those affected by HIV, within an environment that provides some anonymity. Particularly in an arena where there is so much stigma, silence, and exclusion, social media provides opportunities to celebrate the voices and the lived experiences of PHAs, recognizing the diversity within these lives but also reducing isolation by recognizing similarities, building agency and promoting community development.

Looking for ways to get involved in Positive Prevention on the web? Here are some great sites to check out:

OutNPoz (Facebook group)

TheBody.com (Blogs)

Poz.com (Blogs)

Positivelite.com (Blogs)

ACG uses social media too! In addition to this blog, you can also follow me on twitter, where I tweet about sexual health and Positive Prevention activities. You can also befriend us on Facebook!