In October 2025, the STAR Program launched one of its most resonant HIV prevention campaigns to date: PrEP Aware Week 2025: “Built for My Lifestyle!”
As we move into 2026, this campaign stands as a powerful example of what happens when public health, culture, and community voice come together with intention.
Held from October 19–25, 2025, Built for My Lifestyle! was more than an awareness campaign. It was a statement. Rooted in Brooklyn’s diversity and rhythm, the initiative celebrated autonomy, privacy, and choice in HIV prevention, especially through education around injectable PrEP, a long-acting option designed to fit seamlessly into people’s lives.
With bold, Caribbean-inspired visuals and affirming, sex-positive messaging, the campaign reinforced a simple but radical truth: healthcare should adapt to your life, not the other way around.
The campaign was developed by José Iorio, Media & Marketing and Community Engagement Consultant, in close collaboration with Steven R., AS, MPM, FOCUS Patient Navigator, alongside the PlaySure Team led by Alexis Fields, MPH, Assistant Director.
Together, the team aligned the campaign with New York State’s broader mission to make HIV prevention a right, not a privilege, while ensuring the messaging remained culturally grounded, inclusive, and deeply human.
At the heart of Built for My Lifestyle! was a message that continues to guide STAR’s work in 2026:
PrEP is for everyone.
All genders. All ages. All communities.
Protection is empowerment.
Prevention is pride.
By centering dignity and choice, the campaign helped normalize conversations around PrEP, particularly for people who value discretion, flexibility, and long-term protection.
The results spoke volumes. During the campaign period, 91 individuals requested PrEP information and connection to care, demonstrating strong community engagement and trust.
Campaign visuals were also featured prominently across SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, including the Emergency Department and Suite J, ensuring that prevention messaging reached people where healthcare decisions are often made in real time.
As STAR Program continues its work across Brooklyn in 2026, PrEP Aware Week 2025: Built for My Lifestyle! remains a blueprint for what effective, culturally responsive public health outreach can look like.
It reminds us that when prevention feels personal, affirming, and relevant, people show up. And when communities are seen, respected, and celebrated, public health moves forward with them.
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Because HIV prevention is not one-size-fits-all.
It is built for your lifestyle.
Learn more about STAR Program’s ongoing outreach, multilingual education, and HIV prevention services at www.STARprogram.nyc.
