Slideshow: Campaigns that Saved Lives

By Neil Giuliano, CEO

Since the early days of the AIDS epidemic 30 years ago, public health campaigns have played a critical role in spreading information about the disease. Some of these campaigns have been racy. Some have been bold and in-your-face. Some have played to our hopes, and some have played to our fears. But each campaign had one purpose: to educate the public and save lives.

San Francisco AIDS Foundation is a long-time pioneer in innovative public health campaigns. In the early days, the organization prioritized spreading information that helped people sort HIV fact from fiction, and understand how to protect themselves and people they loved.

Today the foundation continues that tradition. In fact, it is about to launch a major new campaign in the coming months to encourage all gay, bisexual, transgender, and other men who have sex with men to get tested for HIV every six months, regardless of risk. Right now new HIV infections are on the rise for gay and bisexual men in the United States, the only group for whom this is the case.

This slideshow includes images from some of the foundation's most iconic public health campaigns over our 30-year history. It is a powerful reminder of how far we've come, and that we still have a lot of work to do.

"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" campaign in 1990. Featuring two young gay men draped in the United States flag, the foundation's education department promotes a positive, proud outlook toward gay sexuality and condom use. The campaign provokes controversy.
1992. The “Reinforce Your Love” campaign is the first comprehensive multicultural AIDS prevention campaign focused on gay youth in San Francisco.
In 1987 "Bleachman," a costumed superhero dressed as a jug of bleach, first enters the HIV prevention scene to educate intravenous drug users that needles can be cleaned with ordinary household bleach in this innovative harm reduction campaign.
1999. In the face of studies showing increased rates of unprotected anal intercourse young gay men in San Francisco, the foundation unveils a multi-year HIV prevention campaign called "How Do You Know What You Know?" It challenges gay and bisexual men to rethink their assumptions about the HIV status among their sexual partners and their decisions not to use condoms.
Ecstasy awareness campaign from 1993, reminding people of the importance of staying hydrated and practicing safe sex while using the drug.
1992. The highly successful "Be Here for the Cure" campaign receives national recognition as an icon of hope for thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS. A poster from this campaign still hangs in the San Francisco laboratory of Dr. Jay Levy, one of the co-discoverers of the AIDS virus.
1987. "AIDS: Fight the Fear with the Facts" was a media-intensive program focusing on educating the general public, not specifically high-risk groups. It was designed to increase general awareness and understanding about AIDS. The objectives of this education campaign were to state the facts about AIDS; to reduce the unnecessary epidemic of fear and refute inaccurate misconceptions about AIDS; and to emphasize where additional information could be obtained about AIDS. Education has been proven to be a successful and powerful tool in stopping the spread of the AIDS virus; the same tool can be just as powerful in stopping the spread of AlDS-related fear.
An early awareness campaign highlighting the foundation's Black Brothers Esteem (BBE) program. Founded in 1998, BBE is a prevention and support program for African Americans to empower men who struggle with issues related to HIV, racism, addiction, poverty, homophobia, violence, and marginal housing.
In 1993, the "Be Here for the Cure" campaign expands into its second phase with a series of images taken by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz. The campaign is re-released on World AIDS Day in mulitple cities including San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C.