Community Data Walks Boost Local PrEP Awareness
Type: News
Attendees of OUTrageous Bingo, held at Rodef Shalom June 7, take in information presented in AFP’s data walk.
This summer, AIDS Free Pittsburgh (AFP) launched a new way to connect community members with HIV prevention information: data walks. These interactive public displays are designed to return the results of AFP’s recent pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)awareness survey directly to the community—the same people who made the survey possible.
AFP’s most recent survey collected over 1,300 responses from Allegheny County residents about what they know about PrEP for HIV prevention. The survey, conducted last summer at festivals and in neighborhoods across Allegheny County, found exciting results. Nearly half (46%) of all respondents reported at least some familiarity with PrEP. AFP plans to use this data not only to guide media campaigns and educational materials, but also to spark conversation in communities through data walks.
A data walk is a community event that presents research results in large, engaging displays. Visitors can interact with charts and graphs accompanied by guiding questions that encourage reflection and discussion of the data both during the data walk and in community. Various AFP partners are hosting these walks in places where community members already spend time: Pride events, farmers’ markets, health clinics, and other neighborhood and community-based events.
Each data poster also includes opportunities for visitors to leave their own thoughts, questions, and marks on the data. This approach is rooted in the belief that community members are more than research subjects—they are partners in understanding problems and creating solutions.
The first data walk took place at OUTrageous Bingo® on June 7th, hosted by Pittsburgh Equality Center and Shepherd Wellness Community at Rodef Shalom. Subsequent events will take place throughout summer and fall 2025 across the city. By returning data in this way, AFP aims to build trust, deepen understanding of HIV prevention, and equip people with the knowledge they and their community need to live healthier lives.
To find or host a data walk near you, reach out to info@AIDSFreePittsburgh.org. To find PrEP resources or view the PrEP survey findings, visit AIDS Free Pittsburgh.
