Atlanta carries one of the highest HIV rates of any city in the United States. Sexual health company B Brand teamed up with the Atlanta University Center to help change that.

B Brand co-hosted the annual "Protect the Culture" sexual health summit — a series of events held across the AUC's historically Black college campuses to promote sexual wellness, violence prevention, and HIV awareness.

The summit reached more than 2,000 students and featured a panel discussion at Spelman College with leaders from CVS Health, Gilead Sciences, and U.S. Business Action to End HIV.

“We really just wanted to bring professionals who are aware and knowledgeable about the current sexual climate to educate our students,” said Dr. Jaray Mazique, director of AUC's Title IX office, which co-organized the event. “By presenting different perspectives on the topic of sexual health, we hope to inform them and encourage the entire AUC community to actively participate in these discussions and take advantage of the resources provided to them for their safety and well-being.”

Building on this momentum, B Brand and Gilead Sciences later partnered to launch the “Protect the Culture” campaign — a new initiative to expand HIV testing and improve access to PrEP and DoxyPEP among underserved communities across Atlanta. 

The "Protect the Culture" summit is an example of what HIV work can look like when businesses and community organizations build it together.

Are you ready to amplify your organization's efforts to fight HIV? U.S. Business Action to End HIV's Local Impact Program matches community organizations with businesses that want to amplify their efforts.

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