Get Plugged In

back to top GET PLUGGED IN Campaign

Young people "remain at the centre of the epidemic and they have the power, through their leadership, to definitively change the course of the AIDS epidemic.” (UNAIDS)

Empowering young people to take control of their sexual health is something AVERT are extremely passionate about! GET PLUGGED IN is AVERT’s new campaign that focuses on empowering young people to use technology as an HIV prevention and sex education tool.

Today’s generation of young people is the largest ever, standing at 1.6 billion. It is for this reason that it is vital that young people can access information to help protect themselves and their peers. According to the latest statistics, there are currently 5 million young people living with HIV globally. Young people represent 40% of all new adult HIV infections, with an estimated 2,400 newly infected every day.¹

As part of the GET PLUGGED IN campaign, we are carrying out research and conducting a survey to understand how young people around the world are using different forms of technology, including mobile phones, social media, websites, chat forums, etc., to access information that will empower them to take control of their sexual health, protect themselves from HIV, and also share information with their peers. If you are 25 and under, why not take our survey and have your say?

GET PLUGGED IN Infographic Competition

As part of the launch of our GET PLUGGED IN campaign, AVERT ran an infographic competition aimed specifically at young people, challenging them to come up with a creative and powerful infographic to help convey a message about HIV prevention. The idea was to educate their peers around the world about an HIV prevention message that was important to them, or to inform their peers by presenting data or information in an interesting and creative way. Their entries could contain digital art, graphs, charts, photographs, illustrations, drawings, paintings… Any form of media was allowed! Importantly, the competition was not based on who had the best software, rather whose infographic represented the best visual or graphic representation of data or information.

What is an Infographic?
Infographics are graphic/visual interpretations of information, data and knowledge, presented in a manner that is both innovative and visually stimulating. Infographics are an important tool for presenting complex information in a quick and easily understandable way.

Why Infographics?
AVERT are particularly interested in infographics as a way to communicate knowledge, information and messages about HIV prevention. Our website is the most popular website in the world for information on HIV and AIDS, with over 40 million people accessing it from round 220 different countries last year. It is therefore important that we have eye-catching, concise and interactive information for people, which transcend culture and language barriers. 

Competition Winners!

We had an impressively high quality of entrants from Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, Australasia and Africa! With help from external judges Designers Against AIDS, Do Something, powered by vInspired and Student Stop AIDS, we were able to choose one winner and three runners-up!

The GET PLUGGED IN infographic competition winner!

AVERT are excited to announce that Kasandra, 22, from the USA, is the winner of our infographic competition! Her infographic was simple, poignant and creative. Read what our Information Services and Design Team had to say about it!

What our Information Services said about Kasandra's Infographic!

Kasandra’s infographic really stands out because it is visually creative, but also content-creative. The overall HIV prevention message obviously deals with wearing a condom, but the way that she portrays this message is creative. She has chosen to deal with the theme of sexual networks, really driving home the idea that you do not sleep with just one person, but every person they have slept with previously. Underlining the importance of protecting yourself by wearing a condom. This is something that is extremely pertinent in the USA, where Kasandra lives, where one's risk of contracting HIV is not necessarily linked to individual behaviour, but rather a person’s sexual network. Overall an excellent infographic!

What our design team say about Kasandra's infographic!

Kasandra's infographic stands out visually, with clear and direct messaging to the reader. Fantastic colour connotations, icon representation of gender, and a great use of perspective. Well done!     

The GET PLUGGED IN infographic competition runners-up

Kasandra's infographic was excellent, however the quality of our runners-up category was just as high! Take a look at the slideshow below for infographics by Ulises, from Mexico; Merwyn, from Singapore; and Florine, from France.

 

 

 

The GET PLUGGED IN survey!

Recently, AVERT conducted an online survey aimed specifically at young people. We wanted to find out more about what the most important issues are when it comes to your sexual health, how you access information regarding safe sex and HIV prevention, and how informed you feel! We will use this information to develop cool technologies and innovative forums through which we can engage with young people, and empower them with information. You can also let us know if you want to get involved in the campaign at the end of the survey.

 

We have had responses from nearly 40 countries in Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Australasia! It really does represent the international nature of what we do at AVERT, and who accesses our website.

When we asked young people what types of questions other people their age might want to find the answer to about HIV/AIDS and safe sex we had lots of interesting answers. What questions would you or your friends ask? Let us know and have your say in the future of the GET PLUGGED IN campaign!

Here are some of the questions young people who took the survey wanted to know the answer to:

• How can we make young friends talk openly about safe sex and HIV/AIDS?
• Are HIV tests confidential? If not how do I get tested and ensure the results are confidential?
• How do I get my partner to test?
• Can you get HIV/AIDS from giving/receiving oral sex? What are the chances?
• Can HIV positive people have 'normal' relationships?
• How common is HIV among 18 - 24 year olds?

What Next?

As you have heard, GET PLUGGED IN is a new campaign here at AVERT, so it is an exciting time to get involved! We will be sharing the survey results with other HIV/AIDS and sexual health organisations working with young people, to give them some ideas about how to use technology as an HIV prevention and sex education tool.

We are also conducting a literature and resource review to help us identify what resources are out there and what are the most effective ways of using technology in this way. With the help of young people, we then hope to develop various exciting tools to empower young people to take control of their sexual health and share information with their peers. More to come soon!

AVERT’s partner organisations in Malawi and South Africa work closely with young people in their communities to empower them with knowledge about HIV/AIDS and safe sex. They are also getting involved in the GET PLUGGED IN campaign to help shape it and to make sure that we are responding to what young people want! 

If you would like to find out any more information about the campaign, why not drop us a line on info@avert.org. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with the #GetPluggedIn campaign!

Leaving with you with some wise words from UNAIDS: "we urge you to continue to engage and lead - and we are counting on you to use your youth as best you possibly can."