Like just about everything from the early 2000s, Ciara’s forever iconic hit, “1,2 Step” is back. It all started with a Super Bowl commercial; amidst Ben Affleck’s “Good Will Dunkin” and Doechii’s spot for Levi’s, eagle-eared fans heard Missy Elliott’s ad-libs and Ciara’s melody under the slogan “One2PrEP”, which they quickly learned was the center of Gilead Sciences' latest campaign to promote Yeztugo, a long lasting, bi-annual HIV prevention PrEP medication. Last weekend at SXSW, Ciara spoke to Cosmo and explained why she’s focused on raising awareness.
Your panel today is focused on how music and media can create positive change. Why was it important for you to get involved in HIV prevention, specifically?
There’s a little bit of a nostalgic feeling that comes with this campaign. I remember, back in the days, you’d watch TV shows that brought these types of conversations to the forefront, and I feel like there was this great opportunity to do the same thing.
We obviously used my song “1,2 Step”, which I’m very precious about. I haven’t really allowed this sample to be used in this magnitude. But I spoke to the Gilead team and learned about Yeztugo’s capabilities, and they had the brilliant idea to reimagine the song as “One2Prep”. If there’s something out there to protect people from HIV when they’re actively dating and ready to… level up their “activities”, I’m always going to raise my hand to spread the word.
In seeing the response to the campaign, I noticed fans in the Black and Latino communities, who we know are disproportionately affected by HIV, were surprised to see your involvement here. What would you say to anyone who is feeling hesitant about exploring PrEP?
I would say: your life matters. Being able to thrive and dream and accomplish everything you aspire to is important. Only 14% of PrEP users in 2024 were Black and 18% were Latino, even though those communities made up over 60% of new HIV cases the year before. So, when you’re wanting to go a little deeper in a relationship and start exploring that physical side of relationships, why not protect yourself on the journey?
For some reason, going to or talking about the doctor can be such a funny thing. It’s okay to talk about your health with your close circle. It’s okay to ask questions. It’s cool to go and take care of yourself!
Have you learned anything that’s really surprised you throughout this campaign?
I didn’t know how much women were impacted by HIV until I started digging deeper with the Gilead team. Only 9% of PrEP users in 2024 were women, even though they make up 19% of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. I didn’t know how much more the Black and Latino communities are affected and, of course, the LGBTQIA community. As a Black woman, I was blown away that Black women are greatly impacted by this virus. I just have to be honest, and it’s all about educating ourselves and getting these conversations going.
Do you have any favorite examples of music that’s made widespread impact?
My favorite of all time: Michael Jackson. From “Black or White” to “They Don’t Really Care About Us”, he was so mindful of the world through his music, which is so inspiring to me. I’ve always believed my platform wasn’t given to me to just keep it cute and dance. I love doing what I do, but I think there’s such a great opportunity to help and impact people’s lives.
The One2Prep campaign, for example, combines 3 “Ms”: music, medicine, and media. Music is that universal language that connects all of us, even if we speak a different language or have different ethnicities. Medicine, in this case, you get your two Yeztugo shots a year, your One2Prep, right? Then there’s media, which gives music the legs to travel the world. It’s such a gift when you can bring all of these worlds together: we can save lives in the process.
