AIDS risk-reduction guidelines: a review and analysis.
Until an effective treatment or vaccine for AIDS is developed, the principal strategy for controlling its spread will remain persuading at-risk and diseased populations to modify behaviors implicated in the transmission of the disease. In the case of homosexual and bisexual men the "risk-reduction" or "safe-sex" brochure has emerged as the most widely used public health intervention modality. While there has been a proliferation of such brochures, to date no systematic analysis of the content or potential efficacy of these materials has been undertaken. The authors carry out two kinds of analyses of a sample of risk-reduction brochures. First, these materials are characterized in terms of 13 characteristics related to their content, and style. Second, the extent to which they incorporate the elements of a standard model of health communication is assessed. Limitations of existing brochures are identified and the implications of the findings for the development of future materials are discussed.
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006266:Health Education; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010174:Pamphlets; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012449:Safety; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013664:Teaching Materials / Q000592:standards