EHE Superstars: Using art to improve youth HIV awareness in Houston

Health departments and community partners know that HIV awareness and sexual education plays a large role in supporting young people to stay HIV-negative or undetectable. Nationally, 20% of new HIV diagnoses in 2020 were among young people aged 13-24, and almost half of those living with HIV do not know their status. Reaching youth with effective and accurate information about HIV can be difficult, but one multi-sector collaboration in Houston, TX is thinking creatively to reach local students.
At the NACCHO360 conference held in July 2023, visitors to the poster hall learned about the Art on the Streets World AIDS Day project, an innovative and interactive campaign aiming to raise youth awareness of HIV and reduce stigma around HIV in the Houston area where youth of color are disproportionately impacted by HIV. Through the campaign, students across the Houston region are invited to design posters about HIV prevention, treatment, and stigma in honor of World AIDS Day for the chance to win scholarships and have their posters displayed throughout the city. The project – the largest display of youth art in Houston and Harris County- is a collaboration between the Houston Health Department (HHD), the Houston Independent School District, and the Changing Communities Movement (CCM) Foundation, an organization using music and art to educate adolescents about sexual health and wellness. (author introduction) #P4HEwebinarMay2024