CDC Bus Stop Ad for HIV Testing

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BENEFICIAL HARMFUL

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CDC Bus Stop Ad for HIV Testing

Background Information
This poster, created by the CDC, is posted on a bus stop near the Howard Law School in Northwest DC. It has been up since sometime in May 2012. The poster is encouraging people to get tested for HIV/AIDS.
Technique Used
Respond to Audience Needs
This is propaganda because
African American women have higher rates of HIV than their white & Latina peers. Placed near a historically black college & showing a person they would want to reach, it aims to influence behavior in target audience (get tested). I think it's great.

Comments

  1. user-avatar
    Amber
    Fri, 04/24/2015 - 10:15
    Amber
    I was in the 10% of the population, seeing this as mostly beneficial. Since it is a call to take care of oneself,and geared towards the target audience in a way they could possibly relate to, it seems very positive.
  1. user-avatar
    mcriede
    Sat, 04/25/2015 - 09:37
    mcriede
    Anyone can get AIDS. It's racist to think that just because the model for this poster is black makes it propaganda. It's fact as stated that African American women have higher rates of AIDS than any other demographic group. It's just a friendly reminder to get tested.
  1. user-avatar
    Pat Hedden
    Sun, 04/26/2015 - 06:27
    Pat Hedden
    I can understand that some people may think this is bad propaganda because they feel it is telling the public the African American women have a higher chance of contracting HIV. But that is putting assumptions on the public in general. The targeting of this ad is specific to African American women because there is factual evidence that the local community's African American woman demographic is experiencing a high rate of HIV infections and the CDC is trying to change that by advertising ways to become more knowledgeable.
  1. user-avatar
    latisha brown
    Sat, 09/19/2015 - 02:53
    latisha brown
    this is a positive message cause it is just telling you to be careful by taking a test to make sure you don't have HIV.
  1. user-avatar
    karynoni
    Tue, 11/17/2015 - 23:47
    karynoni
    I think this is propaganda because it tries to influence attitude and behavior. To me though it is beneficial.
  1. user-avatar
    SMPutnam
    Sun, 11/22/2015 - 03:38
    SMPutnam
    There are maybe some questions raised about why they felt the need to specifically target African American women for such an advertisement, since certainly getting tested for HIV and AIDS is something that would benefit the whole population, regardless of ethnicity. However, since statistically African American women have higher rates of HIV and AIDS, I'm inclined to forgive this kind of targeted advertisement. If we can agree that higher rates of HIV and AIDS among a certain population are a problem (and I hope we can), I think that targeted solutions to that problem are appropriate. At worst, I could say this is a "least you can do" solution - surely, there are better ways to raise awareness and educate a population than signs at a bus stop - but on the whole I think this kind of targeted campaign does far more good than harm.
  1. user-avatar
    Jybalbuena
    Sun, 11/22/2015 - 08:13
    Jybalbuena
    I agree with the interpretation above and think that it is definitely beneficial to get tested if it means saving lives. My rating aligned with 14% of others.
  1. user-avatar
    jiosa
    Fri, 12/11/2015 - 20:09
    jiosa
    i think this is beneficial because it's in a public place and informing people of where they can be tested.
  1. user-avatar
    hnhs
    Fri, 12/11/2015 - 20:14
    hnhs
    beneficial, it lets people know to not be scared they're not alone.
  1. user-avatar
    shania Harris
    Fri, 02/26/2016 - 01:45
    shania Harris
    This is speaking out to people who have sex unprotectedly and haven't gotten checked. Based on the picture that they used they were talking to women primarily black. The message is to tell black women to go get tested if they haven't already, the message is aimed at black women. This propaganda is beneficial because it is telling you to go get tested to be on the safe side, but then again it is harmful because it's racist, and sexist.
  1. user-avatar
    IC
    Tue, 10/04/2016 - 07:42
    IC
    There is definitely a strategic placement of this ad. It caters to a certain demographic, given statistics we know what groups are at a higher risk. Maybe the audience would have responded differently had the woman been of a different race/ethnicity. good use of strategy
  1. user-avatar
    tmcneilly
    Sat, 11/11/2017 - 07:08
    tmcneilly
    This image is beneficial with some caveats. It's beneficial because it is raising awareness for HIV/AIDs. It is beneficial because it enforces the stereotype that HIV rates are much higher in the African American community. While statistics show this to be true, I think the ad is in poor taste to say the least.

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