Photo: Jonathan Kitchen/Getty Images
Long after the top for the American
AIDS
situation,
HIV
remains an issue among gay men, who are diagnosed with the illness for a price “more than 40 instances that of females and more than 44 instances compared to other males,” as a
current report
from inside the
Journal of Hospital Web Research
details. The report, a study of numerous tech-driven methods to lessen the price of
HIV
within this at-risk populace, things toward the new generation of (hopefully) effective
interventions.
There are fascinating choices in the pipeline, since the research’s
pr release details
:
One interactive web site, Sexpulse, designed by health professionals and computer experts to target guys just who find intimate associates on the web, successfully decreased risky intimate actions. Another web site, Continue The Good Work! (
KIU
), used video gaming in reducing rates of exposed rectal intercourse. A 3rd effort, a downloadable video game, aided mitigate embarrassment noticed by some teenagers that have sex with males, though the reduction in high-risk intimate conduct was not statistically
considerable.
The challenge we have found significantly less about
just what
information to provide, given that the fundamentals of how
HIV
and
AIDS
work are pretty well-publicized at this time, than how to provide it, since merely outlining that a behavior is actually hazardous often is not sufficient to switch
it.
It is important to highlight that does not merely connect with gay guys; folks take part in all kinds of unsafe habits, from drug abuse to overeating to cigarette smoking to using inactive lifestyles, despite being told they may be dangerous. This is exactly why practical question of ways to get people to generate healthier decisions is actually a huge section of issue for public-health scientists â creating a highly effective conduct input may be an extremely difficult course of action. (we’re going to be posting a lengthier, a lot more detailed post on this subject topic
shortly.)
Several of the most useful techniques logically target social networks â peer pressure can affect us with techniques some other is attractive typically cannot. It was borne call at the
review:
On social networking sites such as for instance Facebook and Twitter, prominent individuals can spread
HIV
-prevention communications on their buddies and supporters. The sharing of information about
HIV
evaluating via trustworthy sources on a social media seemed to increase needs for
HIV
screening products, one learn found. Another research found that making use of viewpoint leaders to disseminate
HIV
-prevention information via social networks may increase testing costs and bolster condom usage during anal sex with lovers located
on the web.
It’s a really unusual quirk of personal reasoning that packaging the same kind of info in a slightly various means can lead to much better effects. Luckily, professionals are starting to capitalize on
this.