Operation BRAVE, doing business as University Health is seeking a professional marketing agency through proposals to develop a comprehensive media in Bexar County, Texas. The purpose of the campaign aims at lowering HIV rates in Bexar County, Texas, targeting youth. Funded by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Operation BRAVE (Bexar County Response and Victory in Ending the Epidemic) is funded by the EHE (End the HIV Epidemic) initiative. (More info on EHE can be found here: https://www.hrsa.gov/ending-hiv-epidemic). The goal of the program is reducing new HIV occurrences in Bexar County by 75 percent by 2025. A later goal entails increasing the region’s viral suppression rate by 90 percent by 2030. EHE is composed of four pillars: diagnose, treat, prevent and respond. Detailed information on EHE’s pillars can be found here. Ryan White funding serves as the primary safety net for people living with HIV (PLWH). The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides a comprehensive system of HIV primary medical care, essential support services, and medications for low-income people with HIV. The program funds grants to states, cities, counties, and local community-based organizations to provide care and treatment services to people with HIV to improve health outcomes and reduce HIV transmission among hard-to-reach populations. More than half of people with diagnosed HIV in the United States receive services through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program each year. That means more than half a million people received services through the program. Funding, however, has not kept pace with the increasing need for HIV care. A comprehensive look at Ryan White can be found here. Operation BRAVE uses five unique strategies to target three key Bexar County audiences: · People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) ages 18-29 · PLWH that are out of care over 90 days · PLWH recently diagnosed. This media campaign is focusing on Pillar 2: treat. That means the target messaging focusing on using U=U (Undetectable=Untransmittable) and getting people who have been recently diagnosed with HIV into care as soon as possible, or encouraging those living with HIV to return to care`. Pillar 2: Treat- HIV Treatment is vital for all individuals with it, using “treatment as prevention:” Once someone receives consistent care, they become “Virally Suppressed:” meaning that they cannot pass the virus on to others. This pillar exists to treat people with HIV quickly after diagnosis and help them achieve and maintain viral suppression. Treatment consists of using ART (antiretroviral) Therapy. ART Therapy is a once daily pill used to lower the amount of virus in the body. After consistent treatment (approximately 6 months,) the viral load within the body is so low it cannot be detected. This means that the virus cannot be passed on to others. This is called viral suppression. Staying and remaining viral suppressed is the goal. In addition, Operation BRAVE offers treatment through other means, including mental health, housing, transportation, referrals to Community-Based Organizations (CBO’s) and a Nurse Care Coordinator, who works step by step with the client to ensure they get to their appointments, receive the proper medications, assist with other support services.

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