HIV Education for the YouTube Generation

On Monday, we told you that at least 15 percent – still a significant portion – of reported AIDS-related deaths were from contracting HIV through gay sex.

On Tuesday, we told you U.N. officials reported that “despite a stepped up global battle against AIDS, the numbers of people newly infected with HIV are far and away outpacing the numbers beginning antiretroviral drug treatments.”

Today, it’s time for a little more school. The web video series HIV is Still a Big Deal, debuting today, is an attempt to bring HIV/AIDS education to the web. The hope? That the only thing spreading virally is the video. More about the series below:

Grounded in statistical research, the series is a unique collaboration between two project directors from the very different fields of epidemiology and learning theory. Dr. Mary Ann Chiasson is an epidemiologist and Vice President for Research and Evaluation with Public Health Solutions, one of the largest nonprofit organizations in New York City that merges research and action to prevent disease and improve community health. Francine Shuchat Shaw is a faculty member of the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University and a veteran researcher in learning theory and educational media.

“We’ve found that online video can be a powerful new intervention tool in the fight against HIV,” said Chiasson, who leads the Public Health Solutions Internet Research Group. “We are seeing that it can be as effective as one-on-one outreach, but with the Internet’s scope, it has the potential to reach and influence thousands of men.”

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