IOHA HIV Awareness Posters

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Assignment Brief

The project brief required me to create a design for an informative poster raising awareness for barrier methods to reduce the spread of HIV/Aids.

I chose female condoms as my barrier method due to the lack of awareness of the product. I was also required to to show my understanding of colour theory, layout, hierarchy, typography and overall communication by doing research, providing 3 concepts and 2 final posters with alternate colour schemes.

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Definitions

HIV Definition

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the B-cells, thus weakening them, whose job it is to fight infections and foreign invading bodies. Now that the B-cells are weak your immune system in turn is weak also making the individual more vulnerable and susceptible to other infections and diseases.
HIV is contagious through the mixing of bodily fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal secretion. HIV is most commonly spreads when an infected individual has unprotected sex with an individual that is not infected or through the shearing of needles while abusing substances.
Once an individual is infected they are infected for life due to there being no cure for the virus, however it can be treated. It is of the utmost importance to start treatment once infected to prevent the virus from progressing to AIDS.
Treatment consists of taking antiretroviral medication, with this treatment HIV+ individuals can live healthy long lives without transmitting the virus to others.

AIDS Definition

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is the final stage of HIV. HIV becomes AIDS when the virus damages the individuals immune system severely.
When an individuals CD4 cell count falls below 200 cells per cubic meter of blood then are then considered to have AIDS.
Individuals with AIDS tend to have a life expectancy of 3 years id not on medication, however if the individual contracts an opportunistic illness this greatly decreases the life expectancy to 1 year.

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HIV/AIDS In The Context Of South African

South Africa is the country currently leading in the number of individuals living with HIV. This is why South Africa also has the worlds largest antiretroviral program.

Figure 1: HIV and AIDS in South Africa, UNAIDS (2020), (avert.org 2021)

In South Africa those most affected are women, young girls/women, sex workers, men who have sex with other men, transgender women, individuals that inject drugs and children and orphans.

In 2017 it was recorded that 15% of males were living with HIV while females were nearly double that amount at 26%. This is most likely due to the fact that domestic violence has a strong presence through South African homes. Along with the violence comes the mentality that women are of lower status than men thus causing the abuser to think what they are doing is right however it is not.

Young girls/women

In 2018 it was recorded that 540 000 young women were HIV positive while 180 000 young were HIV positive. This is shocking because the number of females is nearly 4 times higher than males. The driving factor for this group is intergenerational relationships with males of older age groups. This is a problem because these older age groups have a higher percentage of individuals living with HIV, thus the virus is than passes on from the older generation to members of the current. This relationship is not always the choice of the young women (ages 10-19) who often do not get a say in the matter, this is also due to the domestic violence in homes and through the spread of incorrect information such as to be cured from HIV you can sleep with a virgin.

Sex workers

Sex workers have an extremely high percentage of HIV infections. This is largely due to their line of work. Sex workers often have many sexual partners being clients and intimate partners which greatly increases their chances of contracting the virus. Sex workers are also often assaulted and raped, in such a situation even the option to use contraception methods is out of the question. Sex work was criminalized thus adding to the abuse and assault because the assailants knew they could not be reported. All these factors cause the sex workers to endure great fear and stress thus they turn to drugs and alcohol to comfort them however this further increases their chances of contracting the virus because men can find them easy targets when drunk and trough the shearing of needles while taking drugs they run the risk of injecting infected blood into their own thus causing them to contract the virus. Another cause is due to lack of education. In 2015 only 4.6% of female sex workers could correctly identify HIV transmission risks, however by 2016 86% of sex workers reported using condoms, however only 22% of them consistently used them. This is bad because condoms greatly reduce the risk of contracting HIV and if an individual does not use one every time their risk is high of contracting the virus especially with so many partners because it is impossible to be sure of so many peoples HIV status.

Men who have sex with other men

It is estimated that 18.1% of men who have sex with other men are living with HIV. One of the greatest driving factors for this is prisons. Due to gender segregation in prisons men usually turn to one another for sexual favors. What with such a variety of individuals in a prison it is highly likely at least one is living with HIV, however that’s all it takes, due to the confined nature of prisons and limited social interaction the virus can quickly spread through the prison. The problem further deepens when these prisoners are then released because they then begin to infect others outside of prison.

Transgender women

It is estimated that 18.1% of men who have sex with other men are living with HIV. One of the greatest driving factors for this is prisons. Due to gender segregation in prisons men usually turn to one another for sexual favors. What with such a variety of individuals in a prison it is highly likely at least one is living with HIV, however that’s all it takes, due to the confined nature of prisons and limited social interaction the virus can quickly spread through the prison. The problem further deepens when these prisoners are then released because they then begin to infect others outside of prison.

Individuals that inject drugs

People who inject drugs are usually individuals that participate in other risky behaviors as well, such as unsafe sex and sex work. In South Africa it is estimated that around 75 000 individuals inject drugs. This number is only increasing with new drugs coming to market such as “Bluetooth“. This drug is used by one individual injecting the drug into their arm, that blood is extracted and injected into another individual, the same needle is used thus cross contaminating blood. A study in 2016 found that of the 75 000 individuals that inject drugs 32% of men and 26% of female confirmed that they shear and reuse syringes and needles.

Children and orphans

HIV has the ability to be passed down from an infected mother to her child. If the mother is not treated she could develop AIDS and perish thus leaving her child an orphan. Orphans usually become sexually active earlier than other children due to their social and economic situations, sometimes orphans are forced into exchanging sex for support. This is bad because they then grow up thinking that that is the way the world is supposed to work and end up infecting many other individuals through their life.

Figure2: National women and girls HIV/AIDS awareness day

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Programmes

Figure 3: 90 90 90 target, UNAIDS (2020), (avert.org 2021)

South Africa has set out a target to get 90% of its citizens living with HIV to know their status, get 90% of those who are HIV positive on treatment then get 90% of those on treatment to live long and happy lives. In order to achieve this target other programs have been put into place for different grouped effected.

HIV testing and counselling

By making testing and counselling easily accessible will allow more individuals to go and learn about their status

Preventing mother-to-child transmission

Educate mothers about consistently taking medication while pregnant, during birth and

while breastfeeding to avoid transmission to the child.

Condom use and distribution
By making condoms easily accessible and cheap more individuals will use them thus protecting themselves and their partner.

Voluntary medical circumcision
Medical circumcision can reduce the risk of female to male transmission by 60%

Pre-exposure Prophylaxis

Aims to educate citizens about PEP and ensure they know how to access it.

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Female Condoms

What is a female condom?

A female condom, also referred to as an internal condom, is a contraceptive device made from polyurethane or latex. It acts as a barrier to prevent unwanted pregnancies and STIs (Sexual Transmitted Infections)

Figure 4: Female condom

A female condom is the only safe and effective female-initiated method that offers protection against STIs including HIV and AIDS as well as unwanted pregnancies. Despite this female condoms are rarely used ,especialy in young women, this is due to lack of awareness of the product. Male condom awareness campaigns are in abundance in South Africa thus it is no surprise that many women do not even know that female condoms are a thing or how to even obtain them. This is not true for all women however the ones that are aware also may not use it because they do not know where to obtain it, fear of using it and/or partner reluctance.

Females are most affected by HIV in South Africa and this product can be a tool for them to take their own health and safety into their own hands instead of trusting their partner to use a condom or trust their word on their HIV status.

Pros

-Significantly reduces chance of contracting an STI (if inserted correctly)
-Gives women control of contraceptive
-No prescription needed in order to obtain the condom
-Less likely to cause an allergic reaction like male condoms
-Compact for ease of storage and disposal
-Can increase sexual pleasure
-Can offer dual protection if paired with partner using a male condom
-No side effects for female or male

Cons

-More expensive than male condoms
-Outer ring of condom may be considered by some to be uncomfortable
-Slightly higher failure rate than male condoms (Female 21%, Male 18%)
-Crackling and popping noises during intercourse

Figure 5: Female condom day

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Awareness Campaigns

HIV/AIDS

The South African government is currently running numerous HIV and AIDS campaigns ranging from informing about HIV and AIDS, motivating individuals to go get tested, how to receive treatment and stopping the stigma around HIV and AIDS.

Campaigns:

-Do It

Is designed to motivate adults to get tested so they can be aware of their HIV status. The campaign also aims to set being tested as a regular health routine.

-HIV Treatment Works

Aims at helping HIV positive people live long and happy lives. It does this by acknowledging successful HIV positive individuals and how they stayed on treatment and care.

-Start talking. Stop HIV

Focuses on homo and bisexual men. The goal is to encourage open communication between sexual partners and friends about strategies and methods that can be implemented to prevent the HIV.

-Stop HIV stigma
Each person has a role to play in stopping the stigma surrounding HIV. This campaign gives a voice to those living with HIV as well as their friends and family by allowing them to shear their stories.

Figure 6: Lets stop HIV together Banner

Female Condom

The South African government created a campaign for female condoms in 2006 called
“P Uys on awareness campaign on usage of female condoms”.

The aim of this campaign was to

-Promote knowledge and acceptance of female condoms

-Empower women to make more informed choices regarding their sexual health

-Honour women’s achievements, trendsetters and visionaries

-Create a platform for women to discuss equality and their right to control their own sexual health

More recently the government of South Africa took part in another campaign on the 26/03/2021 a new female condom campaign was launched in Brits. The goal of this campaign is to spread awareness of the product and ensure women have access to it.

Figure 7: Info board for Female condom campaign in Brits

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Inspiration

Good

Bad

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Concepts

Concept 1

Formed from linking the message of spreading awareness about female condoms and pop culture. As my research showed young women (15-25) are the group least familiar with female condoms, thus by linking the topic to something they are already familiar with will help ease them into accepting the idea. In this concept various sizes of font were used to create a hierarch in the text. This concept runs very linearly thus the reader never really gets lost in the image because they know exactly which piece of information comes next. In order to draw attention to the topic, I used line to focus the readers eye on Wonder woman's head and hand thus after reading the title the viewer can instantly make a connection between the two. The overall feeling of this poster is inspirational thus making women want to try the female condom. Another key design aspect to this concept is the HIV/AIDS ribbon being integrated into the Wonder women logo thus unifying the two.

Concept 2

Still trying to relate to the target market however through a different aspect. In this concept I used social media (Followers to determine relevance) to try and make a connection with the audience. The more followers an individual has the more known they are thus resulting in individuals with smaller followings being eclipsed and falling by the wayside. In this concept I centered the graphic thus using the empty space around the graphic to emphasize its importance. In this concept I used "cute" characters thus balancing out the heavy tone set by the title, by using these characters it is more likely people will remember the message as the characters stay in their mind.

Concept 3

Uses the same theme as concept 1 however instead of inspiring women to make a change and want to use the condom this concept has a stronger driving power thus making women feel empowered and determined to make the change for the better. The viewer is first drawn into view wonder women's face, then the title is read, then leading to view of the condom (High contrasting colour) which is further emphasized by being positioned central of the page and segregated and finally the information is read.

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Chosen Concept

Clients feedback:

"Due to lack of awareness of female condoms, what they look like etc, I think its important to show the product (as you have in concept 2). However, the wonder woman concept, and the inclusion of HIV ribbon in the logo is quite smart. I think these ideas could be combined, could the female chondroma character be "wonder woman" in a stylized sense? poster should include some information/education about female condoms. I like concept 2 and 3, in concept 3 if the image of the female condom could stand out more that would be great because it sort of falls into the background. otherwise, good looking ideas. love the wonder woman idea and the caption"

Based on feedback received applied the ideas thus resulting in this final concept.

Explanation of piece

In this version I used the client’s feedback and brought together all aspects the client liked in my 3 concept sketches. In this layout I used a decrease in size to create a hierarchy. The viewer’s eye is first drawn to Wonder Women herself then is drawn to the caption then moves on to the female condom image followed by the information and finally to the contact details and logos. Through the use of Wonder Women a sense of power can be conveyed to the viewer, much like how in America Uncle Sam was used to instill pride and make the poster more personal.

The caption 'don’t wonder' is a play on words because Wonder Women is the name of the character used, as well as if a women is unsure about something (if partner is HIV+ or if partner has a condom) she is left wondering.

The female condom box is used as a focal point in the layout due to it being placed halfway down the poster and only becomes more focus on due to Wonder Women pointing towards it (the finger has a lot of negative space surrounding it and is in the center of the poster). The female condom is imitating the look of Wonder Women to help show the viewer that the condom is a hero because it also protects and saves live.

The information is the smallest because by this point the user is already been drawn in and wishes to learn more. In the information I inform the viewer about the aim of this poster (Prevent the spread of aids through use of female condoms) and use shocking facts to spark an emotional response so the viewer can realise the severity of the problem. I then inform them about the female condom and where to access it.

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Line Work Draft

Here I took my drawn concept and converted it to a vector drawing using Inkscape.

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Colour Schemes

complimentary Analogous

Final Posters

complimentary Analogous

Mock Ups

In the final submission the hierarches of the piece begins with Wonder Women who is used to draw the viewer in. Wonder Women is an iconic and strong female character thus she is easily recognizable and with her being the largest part of the poster she easily sparks the viewers interest.

The viewer's eye is then drawn to the image of the female condom. This is because the viewer follows Wonder Woman's finger pointing to the condom placed half way down the poster. Another reason the condom is next is due to the fact that it is isolated and greatly contrasts the background of the poster.

These two aspects above then spark the viewer’s curiosity, thus they move on to read the title. At first the words would mean nothing to the viewer however once they notice the HIV/Aids ribbon within it the whole poster should click for the viewer. The word 'Wonder' is used with a double meaning, the first is to refer to the character and the second refers to a women who is unsure. Don't wonder if your partner has protection or if they are telling you the truth about their HIV status, be certain and protect yourself giving women the choice, thus empowering them. The bottom 'W' also has pointed edges thus informing the reader to look at the condom again and continue down.

The viewer will then move on to the bullet points after looking at the condom for the second time. This will reinforce the importance of the condom. The bullet points will then deliver shocking facts thus conveying the severity and seriousness of HIV/Aids.

Lastly the viewer will see the contact details and Logos of UJ and IOHA because of Wonder Woman's lasso that points to it at the bottom of the page.