Rosa Solorio, assistant professor of health services and adjunct in global health, recently launched an HIV-testing campaign for Latino men who have sex with men. Called Tu Amigo Pepe, it focuses on free confidential HIV testing for 18- to 25-year-olds.

Pepe represents a character who encourages testing and safe sex, "and is there to assure privacy and protection," Solorio says. Latino men are disproportionately affected by HIV and have a diagnosis rate nearly three times that of non-Latino white men. They are also at greater risk for delayed diagnosis.

The campaign was awarded an Honorable Mention from PR Daily in the Best Cause Advocacy/Awareness Campaign category. The project was launched in the Seattle area through a National Institutes of Health grant to the UW and King County.