For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Justin Burke - 213.201.1525
EMAIL:jburke@apla.org
AIDS Project Los Angeles Launches Web Site Devoted to Gay Men’s Mental Health and HIV Risk
Los Angeles, CA, October 27, 2003 – AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) has taken HIV prevention to the Internet with “Head Project,” a new social marketing campaign addressing HIV prevention and mental health among gay men in West Hollywood via a unique Web site.
“For HIV-positive and HIV-negative gay men alike, risk for HIV transmission is connected to overall mental health and wellness,” said Craig E. Thompson, APLA Executive Director. “Many men want information that can help them assess the issues they face, but they won’t always seek help in a public setting.”
Studies indicate that depression, addiction, anxiety, isolation, childhood abuse, and stigma can often challenge gay men’s intentions to practice risk-reducing behaviors. Head Project was designed specifically for West Hollywood, where 3,500 men are estimated to be HIV-infected and the number of AIDS cases is the highest in Los Angeles County.
“In our last client survey, residents of West Hollywood reported that they were more likely to be intoxicated before sex, to use crystal methamphetamines, to have had one or more casual sexual partners in the past six months, and to have had unprotected intercourse with a casual partner than our other clients,” said APLA Director of Education George Ayala. “In addition, 67% report feeling nervous or restless some of the time to all of the time, and one quarter of these men rated their overall health as worse than a year ago.”
Through in-depth interviews and focus groups with men in West Hollywood, developers of the project found that many men who experience psychological problems are interested in learning about mental health issues in a more autonomous manner than traditional support groups and programs can provide. Designed and created with social marketing designer Andy Williams, the Head Project Web site was developed specifically for West Hollywood, a city with a significant gay male population and a destination for gay non-residents who visit the area’s entertainment and social venues.
For more information, please visit www.headproject.org.
AIDS Project Los Angeles, one of the nation’s largest AIDS service organizations, provides direct services to more than 10,000 men, women and children living with HIV or AIDS in Los Angeles County each year. Services include prevention education, food banks and nutrition education, professional dental care, housing assistance, mental health counseling, and case management. APLA is a leader in the provision of bilingual HIV treatment information, in print and on the Internet, and advocates for effective AIDS-related policies and legislation on the local, state and federal level.
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