NYC Forum next Weds: WHAT IS THE MESSAGE?! A community discussion on HIV prevention campaigns targeting gay and bisexual men

[check out IRMA's blog post on the controversial and problematic ad campaign released by the NYC department of public health recently]

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2011
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
GMHC - The Tisch Building
119 West 24th Street – 12th floor
(between 6th and 7th Avenues NYC)

Guest panelists include:

Oriol R. Gutierrez Jr., Deputy Editor, POZ; Editor-in-Chief, Tu Salud

Jacoby Johnson, Managing Director - Black Men’s Initiative, Harlem United

Les Pappas, President & Creative Director, Better World Advertising

Tokes Osubu, Executive Director, Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD)

Daniel Siconolfi, MPH, Project Director - Center for Health, Identity, Behavior, & Prevention Studies (CHIBPS)

Monica Sweeney, MD, MPH, Assistant Commissioner – HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene


Guest moderator: Sean Cahill, PhD, Managing Director - Public Policy, Research & Community Health, GMHC


Topics to be discussed include:

• What are effective HIV prevention messages that reach gay and bisexual men?
• Do scare tactics work?
• How should AIDS service organizations and government agencies involve community in the development of campaigns
  
  

The discussion is free and open to the general public. Please bring your ideas for future HIV prevention campaigns.

For more information, please call (212) 367-1016 or write to krishnas@gmhc.org.

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

The Role of Fear in HIV Prevention - Attention Grabbing, But Does it Work?

We've been rather animated on this topic of late, owing to the controversial new "It's Never Just HIV" campaign from the NYC Dept of Public Health.

The long and short of it is - fear doesn't work. Check out this short, well-sourced brief from Sigma on the role of fear in HIV prevention strategies and learn why.

Here are the 5 key points:

• Fear arousing imagery can be good at attracting attention and is often memorable.

• Fear-based campaigns are more persuasive for individuals who are already engaging in the desired, health-protective, behaviour.

• Arousing fear in individuals can have many unintended consequences, such as denial or othering.

• Most homosexually active men are already fearful of HIV.

• Arousing fear is not an effective means of facilitating sexual behaviour change.

*** Also of interest, from the American Journal of Public Health (1988) Effective and ineffective use of fear in health promotion campaigns.

 

[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]

Do you find the new HIV ad campaign from the NYC Dept of Public Health offensive?

Watch and see what you think....

Is it helpful to paint the lives of people living with HIV as a horror show?

Is it honest?

Will it encourage people to get tested?

Will it encourage people to stay safe?

Will it further polarize HIV neg and HIV pos people?





[If an item is not written by an IRMA member, it should not be construed that IRMA has taken a position on the article's content, whether in support or in opposition.]