THT LAUNCHES NEW EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

Health, News by Simon McD on November 12, 2009 at 9:04 am

The Terrence Higgins Trust has launched a new campaign aimed at young gay men, who it says receive little or no sex education relevant to them when at school.

The Biology of Transmission campaign uses three bottom themed images:

• the sponge – illustrating how the lining of the rectum absorbs semen and pre-cum containing HIV.
• the eggs – covering how the rectal lining can be damaged during anal sex or when objects enter the rectum, allowing HIV easier entry into the bloodstream.
• the peach – explaining how (often unnoticed) sexually transmitted infections make it easier for HIV to be passed on due to skin damage inside the rectum

Marc Thompson, Deputy Head of Health Promotion adds: “Many men become sexually active having left school without the basic HIV facts they need to stay safe. Young men have been very enthusiastic about this new campaign. With its simple language and easily understood visuals men of all ages will benefit from hearing how HIV is transmitted and how condoms – or having non-penetrative sex - greatly reduces their risk.”

‘Biology of Transmission’ is a revised version of a CHAPS campaign that first ran seven years ago and which won the 2003 Communication Excellence Award. You can find more information here: http://www.biology.chapsonline.org.uk/

Tags: Condom, health, HIV, Human sexual behavior, Sex education, Sexual intercourse, Sexually transmitted disease, Terrence Higgins Trust

jj

I agree entirely wiv William. The tht spin chief says rightly that many young gay men leave school wivout the hiv facts, but that includes the facts of what hiv is and why it has to be avoided. they are not getting the info from anywhere else are they...... If they cannot get the truth from hiv campains, where are they going to get it from...... This ad does not tell them why hiv is any different to siphilis or even crabs only how to try to avoid it - and we now know from a new street pole that half of young men think there is no difference in the 2. This ad is worth less when not put into a context in which young gay men are compelld to take notice. why are they not bein told the facts of hiv? Any wonder they do not take hiv seriously any more........

William B

...And presuming that this ad is to be aimed at the clubbing subset of hot, young 20/30-somethings in periodicals such as QX and Boyz, well-done THT for again bringing "fisting" and "sex toys" into mainstream gay clubbing culture. Your cunning and guile know no bounds...

William B

Once again an HIV campaign that fails to tell young men WHY HIV is to be avoided, and a perfect example of why an intense debate has been raging elsewhere on Homovision. This campaign only gives tips on how to avoid HIV, not why it must be avoided, and therefore is no different to any campaign there has ever been telling young men to avoid syphilis, herpes, etc etc.

Our job now is to question these campaigns each time they appear, and that applies to editors and publishers of web sites and magazines to whom promotional materials are sent to. Yet again the THT skirts around the consequences of HIV prevention. Another waste of scant public funds, and another nail in its coffin.