On June 7, Hep Team Chicago marked the official launch of its summer program with a kick-off event at Roscoe's Tavern and Café, 3356 N. Halsted. Throughout the summer, the team plans to target men who have sex with other men and put themselves at risk of contracting hepatitis A and B.
Hepatitis A and B, also referred to as vaccine-preventable hepatitis, are liver diseases that are more prevalent among men who have sex with men ( MSM ) than among the general population. The Centers for Disease Control, Chicago Department of Public Health ( CDPH ) and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association recommend that all MSM get vaccinated for both strains of hepatitis.
Harold Levine, the president of Levine & Partners, the marketing company behind the
Hep Team's campaign, said that the summer program is the largest one to promote hepatitis A and B vaccination for MSM. He also presented interesting results that a recent online survey generated: 'As proven as recently as May, fewer than half of the MSM are protected against hepatitis A and B, and 80 percent said that they hadn't seen or heard anything about [ the disease ] in the last six months. Half even said that they had no plans to get vaccinated.'
As a result, Levine said, there is now this wide-ranging campaign, which has everything from posters to a Web site ( www.HepTeamChicago.com ) to spread awareness. Amy Maggio, Hep Team Chicago's public relations coordinator, added that 'this kind of community outreach effort couldn't have happened without several organizations, including Howard Brown Health Center ( HBHC ) , the Center on Halsted, the Task Force on the South Side, the Hep Team, and the [ CDPH ] . A campaign like this is based on social marketing and the message is really clear.'
The event consisted of a meet-and-greet session that was followed by a short program. Speakers included Jon Wilhelm, Chris Brown, and Dr. Will Wong of the CDPH as well as Dr. Leigh Roberts of HBHC. Entertainment was provided by spoken-word artist Keith Green, who said that he actually preferred the term 'men who love men' to 'men who have sex with men.' There was even a unique opportunity to view a vaccination, as Steven Mauldin volunteered to get a shot administered by Wong.
Several local notables attended the event, including Lora Branch of the CDPH, patient-rights advocate George Martinez, and state Rep. Larry McKeon, D-Chicago, who is undergoing chemotherapy to battle rectal cancer.