AIDS and STI Prevention

The BIÖG Campaign for the Prevention of HIV/AIDS and Other STIs

Since 1987, the Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit (BIÖG) has implemented one of the largest and most comprehensive health promotion campaigns in Germany under the umbrella of "Give AIDS No Chance." The campaign has been a model for a successful, nationwide public health prevention strategy, combining mass communication and interpersonal measures aimed at different population groups from the outset.

To achieve lasting prevention effects, it is necessary to establish and maintain a long-term communication process that initiates and sustains the required societal learning processes. Therefore, the BIÖG developed the campaign with interconnected blocks of measures: mass media offerings, telephone and online counseling, interpersonal communication activities, and a variety of interactive online tools.

Since May 2016, the campaign has continued under the new name LIEBESLEBEN (Lovelife) to effectively and contemporarily communicate not only HIV but also other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and additional topics of sexual health. The campaign advances the de-tabooing of STI communication and continues to foster solidarity with people affected by HIV. It raises awareness about risks, non-risks, and protective measures, and encourages condom use and doctor visits in case of suspected STI.

The Division of Labor with the German AIDS-Hilfe

The division of labor between the BIÖG as a government institution and the German AIDS-Hilfe (DAH) as a self-help organization is a key basis for the successful HIV/AIDS and STI prevention in Germany. The BIÖG, as a state organization, addresses the general population and youth, while the self-help organization German AIDS-Hilfe primarily focuses on groups most affected by and at risk for HIV and AIDS. The HIV/AIDS prevention efforts of the German AIDS-Hilfe are funded by the BIÖG, securing the synergy between both areas.

Supporters and Other Partners

The BIÖG cooperates in HIV/STI prevention - both nationally and internationally - with various specialized organizations, institutions, and groups. Particularly important for prevention are, for example, counseling professionals in public health departments, AIDS support organizations, and other local counseling services, educators, the medical community, and pharmacies. The BIÖG also collaborates with large organizations as the Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung (German AIDS Foundation).
A significant partnership has existed since mid-2005 with the Association of Private Healthcare Insurance (PKV), which actively supports the BIÖG's HIV/AIDS prevention efforts and facilitates a range of additional measures to help reduce new HIV infections in Germany.

In recent years, the BIÖG has gained many other supporters, both large and small, for its prevention work. The largest and most important supporter is the Fachverband Außenwerbung, whose member companies have provided millions of free billboard spaces across the country since 1993. This led to the “mach´s mit” large billboards becoming the most well-known and far-reaching element of the entire campaign.

Information materials on AIDS prevention