Petrelis Files

No Proof SF DPH Serosorting Ads
Improved Gay Health

Silly me. I expected the dozens of staffers at the city's AIDS Office and Better World Advertising who created a particular ad campaign in 2006 could easily answer some basic questions regarding their ads. But they can't, illustrating to me how it's business, and a publicly well-funded business, as usual. Throw ads at the homosexuals, get 'em upset, fatten ad agency coffers, never show verifiable evidence gay health is improved.

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:14 pm
Subject: SF DPH HIV serosorting ad campaign accomplishments requested

Eileen Shields
Public Information Officer
Department of Public Health

Dear Ms. Shields,

Please share my questions with Doug Sebesta, gay men's health coordinator for the DPH. -Michael


Dear Mr. Sebesta,

Over fifteen months ago you and the DPH launched a social marketing
campaign targeting gays with AIDS to serosort and disclose their HIV
status.

The campaign is ongoing and the web site for it is still operational:
http://www.disclosehiv.org/ .

I have some important follow-up questions that need answers.

1. What evidence do you have showing the ads led to more serosorting and disclosure?

2. Is there any proof your ads increased HIV antibody testing?

3. How about evidence HIV infections decreased because of the campaign?

4. Have you held any public meeting since November 2006, when the ads began, to discuss the merits and accomplishments of the ads?

5. Has a written report been issued to the community about the success or
failure of the serosorting campaign?

6. How have you interacted with critics of the campaign to insure diverse gay opinions were considered when evaluating the ads?

7. And finally, in your capacity as director of gay men's health issues for the DPH, when do you hold public meetings to seek community input into the gay health agenda of DPH?

I look forward to your thoughtful answers.

Best regards,
Michael Petrelis

A week later, the health department sent this email, full of red herrings, omitting any real answers to my simple questions:

In a message dated 2/20/2008 4:21:25 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, Eileen.Shields@:

Dear Mr. Petrelis:

Here is a response to your multitude of questions:

The Human Rights Commission held a forum on this issue at which Dr. Colfax presented.

The issue you are asking about is one image from a very broad multifaceted marketing, educational and training project that involved our network of Counseling and Testing and prevention providers. Better World Advertising is completing a report on the marketing component and staff is completing data analysis for the project on counseling and testing.

When the work is completed, DPH will share it.

Eileen Shields
Public Information Officer
San Francisco Department of Public Health

Good government advocates should be concerned that another city-funded HIV social marketing campaign targeting gays can't produce any results or a report on what the campaigns may have achieved. Between DPH and Better World Advertising, we have zero data to look at, 16 months after the serosorting ads were launched. Oh, and DPH can't even say date when the evaluation work will be completed. This is how DPH is accountability to the targeted community.

If someone can find an instance of DPH producing increased testing or lowered infection rates brought about through any one of the department's multi-million dollar social marketing efforts, please share tell me about it. The lack of any stats from the serosorting campaign is totally in keeping with established DPH policy for all such campaigns.

The stigmatizing attitude of DPH and Better World Advertising created through their endless barrage of ads, always peddling manufactured controversy and alarmism, has a detrimental influence on gay health. The message is always the same: You're doing something wrong and we need to provoke you. It is not enough for the city to spend millions annually on gay and HIV health social marketing, without producing tangible stats and beneficial results.

And just because Better World Advertising may soon show us proof their web sites for the campaigns received lots of hits, and the agency has lots of new press clippings for its archive, I want epidemiological and measurable health outcomes from the social marketing.

There's gotta be more accountability from DPH and its ad agency.