At Family Health Centers of San Diego’s (FHCSD) Tuesday Night Clinic, a 30-something man talks to a counslor as he waits for the results from his 20-minutes rapid HIV test. He hopes for the best, but fears the worst. HIV was the farthest thing from his mind just weeks ago when he was partying. The only thing he cared then was whether or not he would find a “trick” on the Internet – preferably one willing to share crystal methamphetamine (meth). But now the party is over.

This hypothetical scene is typical say staff members from the clinic at Gay Men’s Health Services at FHCSD. In its latest social marketing campaign, the organization hopes to bring awareness to the devastation that crystal methamphetamine use can cause. The campaign is targeting men who have sex with men (MSM) in central San Diego with two different messages: one to drive the point home to recreational crystal meth users and one aimed at individuals who do not use meth or who are in recovery from meth.

“The goal of the ‘Out Of Control’ portion of the campaign is to encourage [recreational users] to consider the potential negative ramifications of using crystal meth, by highlighting the ways that crystal meth use can undermine the most stable life,” said Victoriano Diaz, program manager of FHCSD’s Marketing Services.

To that end, FHCSD will distribute eight posters next week reflecting the lifestyles of many gay men who use crystal meth, he said. For example, one poster shows a man lifting weights with one arm, while the other is prepared for meth injection. The campaign will run for three months and posters will appear on billboards, bus shelters and venue-based displays located throughout the area. FHCSD’s outreach workers will also distribute them as palm cards. Online banner ads will appear on Gay.com, a popular gay news and entertainment Web site that surveys show the target population frequents.

“Crystal meth use is not new to San Diego’s gay community. Although, through our formative work and anecdotal information, it seems to becoming a more accepted part of everyday life for many San Diego gay men,” said Robert Lewis, director of HIV services at FHCSD.

The campaign results from FHCSD’s reviews of data from a provider and community comprehensive needs assessment, “Methamphetamine and HIV in San Diego County.” FHCSD also reviewed crystal meth campaigns that were already in circulation in San Diego. From this they decided to focus campaign efforts not only on recreational meth users, but also to create a “Proud ’n’ Powerful” (PNP) campaign for individuals who do not use meth or are in recovery for meth use, organizers said.

The acronym PNP is an Internet code that meth users use to access both crystal meth and sex partners. The PNP campaign images are a series of personal profiles, much like those the target audience might see online on various personal ad Web sites. However, in these profiles, the slogan “PNP” takes on a new meaning – Proud ’n’ Powerful. “These messages highlight the fact that gay men can choose to either not begin or stop using crystal meth and still have very happy and healthy lives and relationships,” Lewis said.

“Our goal with this, and all of our social marketing campaigns, is to increase awareness and begin a dialogue in the community regarding issues that negatively impact our health. This will hopefully lead to a shift in community-wide social norms that are supportive of healthier behaviors,” Lewis said.

According to studies from focus groups of ex-meth users, the ads have the potential to be well received. “They said that they liked the ads because the were so real,” Diaz said.

Funding for the campaign comes from a one-time grant from San Diego County Public Health HIV, STD & Hepatitis Branch. However, due to the close relationship between meth and HIV, Lewis said FHCSD will continue to address the issue of meth use through its future marketing and HIV-prevention efforts.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing a growing percentage of those who come to us for services, whether it’s information, prevention counseling, HIV testing, STD screening, and treatment or care and support for those who are already HIV-positive, reporting active meth use as one of the co-factors in their high-risk activities,” he said.

The campaign is a result of analyses of the meth-use assessment and social marketing campaign evaluation data collected through surveys conducted with community members last fall. FHCSD contracted with the San Diego Association of Governments’ (SANDAG) Criminal Justice Research Division to perform analyses.

The report showed respondents who currently or previously used meth started in their mid 20s, on average, and about one-third of respondents obtained meth through a “sexual hook-up” or from someone they knew online. Many reported using meth in a variety of ways, including injecting, using with other substances, and using the drug at bathhouses and with others during “hook-ups.”

Three out of four current meth users said they had tried to quit meth before on their own. Two-fifths had previously been in treatment, and more than half said they were currently interested in cutting back.

“Even though they were sure they could control their use, the negative outcomes still really did happen to them,” Diaz said, explaining that the FHCSD hopes the message will lead community members struggling with meth use from being “Out of Control” to being “Proud ’n’ Powerful.”