Republic of the Philippines

BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY

City of Malolos, Bulacan

Wake. Break. Make.

Wake the nation. Break the misconception. Make the patient free from discrimination.
Advocacy Campaign Plan for HIV/AIDS Awareness

Bernardino, Marc Ace – Concept (explanation)

Capistrano, Jake Lester – Audience
Francisco, Cathleen Ann – Objectives and Cause
Franco, Maverick Allen – Tagline and explanation
Migraso, Jowhella Mae – Cause

BSA – 1B

Instructor:
Mrs. Maribeth Bante
PCM 101 Purposive Communication

November 2, 2022
I. Cause

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that targets immune system cells,
making a host more susceptible to various illnesses and infections. HIV cannot be cured,
however, antiretroviral medication commonly known as ART can slow or stop HIV from
progressing from one phase to the next. Without proper medication, HIV infection develops
gradually and worsens onto stages over time. These three stages of HIV infection are acute HIV
infection, chronic HIV infection, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Within two to four
weeks of HIV infection, it develops the earliest stage which is the Acute HIV infection. The level
of HIV in the blood is terribly high during this stage, which dramatically increases the risk of
transmission. In Asymptomatic or Chronic HIV infection, the second stage, HIV still develops in
the body but at extremely low levels. People who use ART could be at this stage over several
decades. The last and most severe stage is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS.
Without ART, chronic HIV infection typically progresses to AIDS in 10 years or more, while it
may occur quicker in some patients. The immune system has been heavily weakened by HIV,
making it impossible for the body to resist infections. The average person's life expectancy
without medication drops to roughly one year after they get a serious opportunistic illness.

How can an individual become HIV-positive? Getting tested is the only certain method to
find out if a person has HIV. Direct contact with specific bodily secretions from an HIV-positive
person who has a detectable viral load can result in HIV infection. These bodily fluids include
blood, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, semen, pre-seminal fluid, and breast milk. The HIV in these
fluids must penetrate an HIV-negative person's bloodstream by a mucosal membrane, an open
wound or sore, or a direct injection by syringe in order for transmission to take place. Engaging
in anal or vaginal intercourse without properly using a condom the right way and using shared
needle and syringes for injecting drugs of an HIV-positive person are the common causes of
transmission. In addition, HIV infection can be acquired at birth if the mother of the infant
carries HIV while she is pregnant.

According to the Department of Health—Epidemiology Bureau (2020), the Philippines

has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the Asia and Pacific Region, with an increase rate of
237% in annual new HIV infections. Wherein, a total of 5,000 registered HIV-infected
 individuals have been registered from 2010 to a total of 16,700 in the year 2020. In correlation to
that, AIDS-related deaths have increased by 315% during the same period, from 200 deaths in
2010 to an outright increase of 820 deaths in 2020. Despite the fact that the overall HIV
proliferation in the Philippines is less than 1%, the total estimated number of people living with
HIV in 2020 is 115,100. Furthermore, if the high increase in new infections continues, the
predicted number of people living with HIV would triple by 2030, reaching over 330,000.

Cases were predominantly spread through sex between males and females during the
early years of the epidemic (1984–2006). However, the phenomenon started to shift in 2007, and
more cases were identified among males who have sex with males (MSM). Moreover, by 2020,
MSM will account for 90% of all new infections. According to the estimated number of people
living with HIV (PLHIV), the NCR region has the highest PLHIV with a total number of 38,700,
next is Region 4A, with a total of 19,300 PLHIV, and the third highest PLHIV is Region 3, with
a total of 11,900.

A person who gets infected with HIV might or might not experience symptoms at first.
Several individuals get flu-like symptoms, including fever, sore throat, and cough. These signs
may disappear even without medication, but HIV remains in their blood, where it multiplies and
starts to weaken their immune system. According to the National Institute of Mental Health
(2020), depression is twice as common in HIV-positive patients and they are more susceptible to
cognitive, anxiety, and mood disorders. Infants who contract HIV either at birth or through
breast milk catch illnesses that are more difficult to treat than in other newborns. They may
exhibit symptoms that affect their physical development like slow growth, slow weight gain, and
struggle in learning to talk and walk.

II. Objectives

The objectives of our advocacy campaign are:

1. Educating the public about HIV/AIDS.
2. To put an end to discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients.
3. To eliminate the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS.
4. To provide a safe environment/space for HIV/AIDS positive individuals.
III. Audience

The following is the target audience for this advocacy campaign:

HIV-positive individuals. This advocacy campaign is designed to help HIV-positive individuals

stop the public from stereotyping and educate them about HIV and AIDS. According to the
HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP), they received reports of 1,054
confirmed HIV-positive individuals in February 2022, totaling 96,266 documented cases overall
since January 1984. 

Public/Society. As time goes by, the stigma of HIV-positive people has been a part of our
society. A lot of discrimination and judgments have been made, which turn out to be groundless
and irrational. This campaign aims to stop the circulating fake news and misconceptions about
HIV and AIDS. This will serve as a stepping stone for our society to think rationally and treat
those individuals the treatment that they deserve.

IV. Concept

The material to be used in this advocacy is a poster-slogan. In using the poster-slogan, the
advocacy will have the advantage of visual-aids catching the attention of the people and giving a
hint of what the advocacy is all about. By using a slogan to explain what the visual aids is all
about through, it becomes a confirmatory factor to the assumption as they see the images and
elements in the poster giving the message/advocacy a clarity through the minds of the people
who will see the material.

We came up with the design by utilizing the number of members. With five members, we
should think about 5 different ways (it should be general that can cover more specific ones) HIV
is transmitted, breaking the stigma of it being transmitted only through sexual intercourse. We
also used the color and symbol representing HIV Awareness which is a ribbon in the color red. 
 Black will be the background of the poster to make the color red pop out more so that the
people will focus on the main elements which are red in color. The main elements are the slogan
and the 5 members (hued in different shades of red) blindfolded. The slogan will be in bright red
standing out to give emphasis on the focus of the advocacy. 

In the blindfolds written are the 5 different ways HIV can be transmitted. The color of the
texts in the blindfolds is the color of the member. If member 1 is hued in light red, the text in
member 1’s blindfold should be in light red too. The different shades of red will be there to give
emphasis to the difference of ways HIV is transmitted.

Even though the advocacy focuses on stopping the discrimination of people that are HIV
positive, breaking the stigma of it being sexually transmitted only, we will include STD as a
ways of transmitting the disease because it is still HIV awareness. It is agreed upon that the
advocacy wants to break the stigma, but it does not mean it wants to eradicate the fact it can still
be transmitted sexually. 

Given the chance to use the material to promote our advocacy, the members would like to
disseminate it through all social media platforms, reaching every tech-citizen, mostly Generation
X and Z not nationwide but possibly worldwide. We opt to break the stigma and stop stereotypes
in everyone, so we would also like to put posters in every community possible, reaching
individuals who are not tech-savvy. If possible, the material will be featured through billboards
and large signages ensuring the nationwide dissemination of the message of our advocacy.

V. Tagline

Wake. Break. Make.

Wake the nation. Break the misconception. Make the patient free from discrimination.
 Nowadays, an unjustified and groundless belief has become a normal thing in our society.
A lot of patients living with HIV/AIDS are experiencing various types of discrimination,
considering that the information against them was just a misconception. As the advocacy aims to
disseminate factual information and eradicate fake news about HIV infection through the use of
social media, if everyone partakes in the advocacy, it will be vital to all the patients' lives as well
as to the whole nation. When a nation is united, it will resolve disputes; enlightening each
individual will resolve ignorance. Furthermore, the stigma against HIV patients will vanish if the
people of the nation put an end to their irrational way of thinking and change it into a rational
one. In addition, this advocacy tends to spread the message that HIV may be transmitted in
various ways, but there are still distinctions and it is not easily transmitted.
 
Inequality in equality: In this racist society, no discrimination shall be tolerated. Each and
every one of us has their right to be treated fairly. Living in a country with a just judgment, a lot
of people will feel at ease, and it will somehow help to boost the patients' fortitude to fight the
virus. Dragging someone down or making them feel that they're inferior due to their deficiencies
is unethical. Someone's deficiency shouldn't be a reason to discriminate against them, as it will
impede their minds that they should be ashamed as their well-being was belittled. By this
advocacy trying to change and vanish the circulating misconceptions, it will lead for the
betterment of the society not only for those who are affected by the virus but as well as to those
who are victims of misinformation. It will give a better knowledge and understanding about HIV
and AIDS that, as time goes by, will lead the public to think rationally and treat everyone with or
without the infection equally.
REFERENCES:

A Briefer on the Philippine HIV Estimates 2020 (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2022,
from https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/publications/A%20Briefer%20on%20the
%20PH%20Estimates%202020_08232021.pdf

How Is HIV Transmitted? (2022, June 16). HIV.gov. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/how-is-hiv-transmitted

New York State Department of Health – HIV: The Basics (n.d.). Retrieved November 1,
2022, from https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/aids/general/resources/child/docs/
chapter_1.pdf

Symptoms of HIV (2022, June 15). HIV.gov. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/symptoms-of-hiv

What Are HIV and AIDS? (2022, June 15). HIV.gov. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/what-are-hiv-and-aids

HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (2022). Retrieved November 1, 2022, from
https://www.aidsdatahub.org/sites/default/files/resource/eb-harp-february-
aidsreg2022.pdf