Background on HIV​​​​​​​

HIV is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection which is called the immune system, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex (sex without a condom or HIV  medicine to prevent or treat HIV), or through sharing injection drug equipment. If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). The human body can’t get rid of HIV and no effective HIV cure exists. So, once you have HIV, you have it for life.

However HIV/AIDS is one of the most serious health concerns in South Africa. The country has the highest number of people afflicted with HIV of any country, and the fourth-highest adult HIV prevalence rate, according to the 2019 United Nations statistics. South Africa has the biggest and most high-profile HIV epidemic in the world, with an estimated 7.7 million people living with HIV in 2018. According to Statistics South Africa's mid-year population estimates for 2018,the total HIV prevalence rate for the country is 13.1%. The HIV prevalence rate for all adults aged 15 to 49 is 19.0%

However HIV prevalence does not indicate that a country has an AIDS crisis, as HIV and AIDS are separate conditions. HIV prevalence, instead, indicates that people remain alive, despite the infection. Due to the high number of people living with HIV in south Africa, that makes South Africa the country with the world’s largest antiretroviral treatment (ART) programme. 

With all the HIV programmes in South Africa there are still people living with HIV and not aware of it. The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested. Testing is relatively simple. You can ask your health care provider for an HIV test. Many medical clinics, substance abuse programs, community health centres, and hospitals offer them too.  A home testing kit can also be bought at a pharmacy or online.

HIV symptoms include Fever, Chills, Rash, Night sweats, Muscle aches, Sore throat, Fatigue, Swollen lymph nodes and Mouth ulcers. These symptoms from a couple of days to a few weeks. 

Popular high risk HIV population groups include young women as their HIV prevalence is nearly four times greater than that of young men. Young women in South Africa are more exposed to getting infected with HIV because of sexual inter course with older men, living in poverty at a young age and being forced into selling their bodies in order to provide for them selves.

 Certain factors increase HIV risk for South African sex workers, most notably exposure to high levels of violence and poverty and low educational levels. A study in Soweto found that 50% of female sex workers had experienced some form of physical assault in the past 12 months; of these 55% had been raped or sexually assaulted.

The Human Sciences Research Council’s Marang Men’s Study found HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men of 22.3% in Cape Town, 48.2% in Durban and 26.8% in Johannesburg.

Despite a constitution that protects the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities, many men who have sex with men face high levels of social stigma and homophobic violence as a result of traditional and conservative attitudes. This makes it difficult for these men to disclose their sexuality to healthcare workers and get the healthcare they need.

The three main ways that HIV can get passed between you and someone else are:

Through unprotected sex (anal or vaginal sex without a condom).
By sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs (including steroids).
To a fetus or baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.

South Africa has a number of HIV-prevention interventions that were introduced to try and curb the increasing number of HIV infections in the country. These include female and male condoms, medical male circumcision, treatment as prevention, Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and recently, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PREP).

Prep 

is a once daily medication given to HIV-negative people to prevent the development of HIV cases. It is meant for people who don’t live with HIV but have higher chances of developing the condition.

PrEP helps lower the chances of developing HIV by protecting you and your partners from contracting the virus. It is not for people who already live with HIV. 

Before starting PrEP, and at least every 3 months while you’re taking the medication, you will need to be tested for HIV and have a negative test result.

If you’ve been exposed to HIV or show symptoms of an acute case, you will wait to make sure you test negative before restarting on the PrEP medication.

Post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, is a way to help prevent the transmission of HIV in an HIV-negative person who may have been recently exposed to the virus. PEP is very effective but will not prevent 100% of HIV transmissions from occurring. It must be started within 72 hours of exposure to HIV.

This is different from pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP), which involves taking two HIV medications on an ongoing basis, starting before and continuing after an exposure to HIV. PEP should be started as soon as possible, but definitely within 72 hours of being exposed to HIV. The prescription drugs used for PEP need to be taken every day for four full weeks (28 days).

When PEP is taken, the HIV drugs get into the bloodstream and the genital and rectal tissues. If there is HIV in the body, the drugs can prevent HIV from replicating within the body’s immune cells, and help to prevent a permanent infection from developing.

PEP used in emergency situations: PEP is given after a possible exposure to HIV. PEP is not a substitute for regular use of other HIV prevention.
PEP is not the right choice for people who may be exposed to HIV frequently.
If you are at ongoing risk for HIV, such as through repeated exposures to HIV, a health care provider needs to be consulted about PREP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).

Figure 1: South Africa 90-90-90 (2018 FINAL)_1.png (780×462) (avert.org)

Figure 2: NWGHAAD-2018-new-hiv-diagnoses.png (1667×1667) (cdc.gov)

Grid Images For PREP: 

 1.Screen_Shot_2018-03-21_at_12_02_28_pm.jpg (676×345) (thebrag.com)

2. 32514377531_52e70a438a_k.jpg (2048×1354) (stdtestoptions.info)

3. PrEP-shutterstock_762208420jpg_t670.jpg (670×446) (ellingtoncms.com)

4. prep-pep-hiv-medication.jpg (980×587) (medlineplus.gov)

Grid images For PEP

1. 2oz-clear-flip.jpg (600×600) (candlesandsupplies.net)

2. 376.jpg (600×400) (crossstreetmedical.com.sg)

3. PEP-HIV-Treatment-Medication-11.jpg (1200×667) (premier-clinic.com)

4. Pep.png (1200×858) (kindclinic.org)

5. jyw7obsdzvhxl0kwmvs5vafqcitrq4hr28ammhr1kllumms1ng6bdjd9xrae3oav.jpg (646×960) (mic.com)

Concept 1: This concept uses hierarchy in the displayed focal point "Prep and Pep". the information that will be provided next to the focal point will also be displayed in small font hierarchy. Color scheme chosen for this concept will be analogous of dark blue and light blue.​​​​​​​

There are two colour schemes for the final poster, one being Analogous and the other split complementary. The analogous poster consist of three colours: Blue, green, light shade of green. I used shades of blue for the pills in the analogous poster because it's the colour that commonly used in poster's for the prep and pep pills. the bottles consist of difenet shades of green so they can compliment the background colour and the pills. 

The complementary poster consists of three colour:  indigo,yellow and light orange. for this poster i chose these colours to match the analogous poster. with a little bit more brightness and uniqueness. As the shades of indigo gives the poster a pastel feeling.