In 2021, 78.2% of the 294 new HIV cases in Hillsborough County occurred among males, with male-to-male sexual contact as the leading transmission mode. Despite Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) reducing HIV risk by 99%, accessibility remains a barrier. The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) Health Disparities Coalition PrEP Task Force applied a virtual adaptation of the Community-Based Prevention Marketing (CBPM) framework to develop an intervention addressing PrEP uptake.

This traditionally in-person framework was successfully implemented using virtual platforms (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Drive, and Qualtrics) that enabled collaborative decision-making and active community partner engagement throughout steps 1–6 of the eight-step process. Key accomplishments include: an asset inventory (Step 1); narrowing 80+ evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to one (STYLE) through surveys and virtual return -on-investment activities (Steps 2–3); identifying Black/Latinx MSM (25–34) and emergency department and urgent care providers as priority audiences (Step 4); conducting formative research through interviews and surveys (Step 5); and developing a multi-level social marketing plan and intervention targeting emergency room PrEP uptake (Step 6).

The resulting pilot intervention—supported by FDOH and CAN Community Health—focuses on: (1) a social marketing campaign for PrEP referral in emergency and urgent care settings; (2) increased HIV testing in ERs; and (3) a coordinated medical-social support network for high-risk patients. This approach strategically targets settings where the priority population frequently seeks care. This virtual CBPM model demonstrates how technology can maintain community engagement and drive intervention planning in a hybrid or remote environment.