Photo: Jonathan Kitchen/Getty Images
Even after the peak for the American
AIDS
situation,
HIV
is still an issue among homosexual males, who happen to be diagnosed with the condition for a price “more than 40 instances that females and more than 44 times compared to different guys,” as a
previous paper
for the
Diary of Health Web Research
explains. The report, a study of several tech-driven strategies to lower the rate of
HIV
in this at-risk populace, factors toward the next generation of (ideally) efficient
interventions.
There are some interesting choices in the offing, since research’s
press release explains
:
One entertaining website, Sexpulse, created by medical researchers and computer boffins to target guys whom find sexual lovers on the internet, effectively reduced risky sexual behaviors. Another website, Keep It Up! (
KIU
), used games in lowering costs of unprotected rectal intercourse. A third initiative, a downloadable video game, aided mitigate embarrassment thought by some men who possess gender with males, though the reduction in risky sexual behavior was not mathematically
considerable.
The challenge the following is significantly less about
exactly what
message to deliver, since the basics of how
HIV
and
AIDS
work have-been rather well-publicized at this stage, than simple tips to deliver it, since simply discussing that a behavior is actually hazardous might be perhaps not adequate to change
it.
You need to explain that this does not just apply at gay guys; people participate in all sorts of risky habits, from substance abuse to overeating to smoking to using sedentary lifestyles, despite having been advised they truly are unsafe. That’s why the question of ways to get people to generate better choices is a massive area of concern for public-health researchers â making a fruitful behavior input may be an extremely challenging action to take. (we’re going to end up being posting a lengthier, more detailed article about this subject
eventually.)
Probably the most beneficial strategies logically target social support systems â peer force can influence united states in manners additional is attractive usually don’t. It was borne in the
overview:
On social networks such fb and Twitter, popular individuals can distribute
HIV
‑prevention messages their buddies and fans. The sharing of info about
HIV
screening via respected sources on a social networking appeared to increase demands for
HIV
testing systems, one study discovered. Another learn unearthed that making use of opinion leaders to share
HIV
‑prevention details via social networking sites may increase screening prices and bolster condom utilize during anal sex with lovers located
using the internet.
It really is a very odd quirk of real human reasoning that presentation the same old information in a slightly various means can cause far better outcomes. Luckily, specialists are starting to capitalize on
this.
