New Gilead campaign encourages young Black adults to get ‘Up to Date’ on HIV prevention

Drugmaker Gilead Sciences has launched a national HIV testing and prevention campaign encouraging young Black adults to learn their HIV status, talk openly about sexual health and discuss PrEP with their health care providers. The campaign features a video starring comedians Nicole Byer and Devon Walker that will play during The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Peacock and stream on BET, Roku, Tubi and Urban One.

Called “Up to Date,” the campaign is part of the company’s Care for the Culture initiative and is intended to reach Black communities—particularly Black women, who continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. The television commercials feature young Black adults preparing for a date while encouraging conversations about HIV testing, prevention and PrEP.

In 2024, while Black women and girls accounted for 52% of the 7,752 new HIV diagnoses in the United States that year, they represented about 13% of the country’s female population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“One of the best ways to fight this statistic is to encourage conversations and empower Black adults, especially women, to make informed decisions about their relationships and sexual health, to get tested for HIV and to engage in discussions with their healthcare providers about the most effective forms of oral and injectable PrEP medications,” said Deb Wafer, executive director of U.S. public affairs for Gilead.

According to AIDSVu, more than 600,000 people in the U.S. used some form of PrEP in 2025, but the CDC believes as many as 2.2 million could benefit from HIV prevention medications. The biggest barriers are lack of awareness about PrEP and who can use it, stigma and misperceptions about the nature of the HIV epidemic.

“HIV remains a serious public health threat regardless of sexual orientation, yet there are common misperceptions about the nature of the epidemic,” Wafer added. “Some people mistakenly believe HIV is no longer a concern or doesn’t impact them, while others wrongly assume it only impacts certain communities, though anyone can contract the virus.”

Gilead launched “Up to Date” in late June, which is expected to continue through the end of the year and may be extended into 2027.

“This is a multi-channel campaign designed to meet people where they are by using relatable dating scenarios infused with humor and clear messaging to make HIV prevention and PrEP feel more approachable, relevant, and normalized.” Wafer said. Real Housewives of Atlanta was selected because it has built a strong, loyal audience among Black viewers, she said.

The campaign is also being supported with display ads across a variety of digital direct publishers and addressable platforms, paid and organic social media posts on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and custom podcast programs with iHeart and SPILL, including Nicole Byer’s podcast “Why Won’t You Date Me?”

Gilead partnered with Atlanta-based Majority, a diversity-led advertising and marketing agency to produce the campaign. To watch the full “Up to Date” video, go here.