Developing a cost-effective media campaign addressing unprotected anal sex among gay men

This paper describes the development and implementation of the Stella Seattle campaign, a media campaign targeting men who have unprotected anal sex with other men. Stella Seattle utilizes a serial cartoon strip format. Scenarios and characters in the strip are derived from local formative research on factors associated with unprotected anal sex in men who have sex with men, including depression, isolation, misinformation, and normative behavior. Weekly strips illustrating the struggles and hopes of gay men who are practicing unprotected anal sex are distributed in postcard form throughout the gay community and are placed in two weekly newspapers. Surveys conducted in the gay community and at an HIV test site indicate that 35% to 45% of men have seen Stella, and of these men about half have discussed it with their friends.