Bridging the Gap: Conference Record [Abstract book, International Conference on AIDS (12th: 1998: Geneva, Switzerland)]

12th World AIDS Conference

Abstracts 33459-33463 681

breakage or prevention "accident". As prophylactic treatment does reduce the
risk of transmission, communication on prevention "accidents" and "failures" is
necessary but may result in a dramatization of low-risk sexual practices (oral sex)
in case of unclear guidelines. However, the main risk is letting people living with
HIV take the entire responsibility for prevention.
Lessons learned: Information campaigns, prevention and testing messages
should be re-examined in order to integrate the new scientific and therapeutic
knowledge on HIV infection. While the prevention discourse evolves, attention
should be paid to the continuity of messages and the credibility of sources. The
introduction of new contents for prevention must not jeopardize attitudes and
behavior change already registered by the general population and the groups at
increased risk.
33459 "Lessons learned from the establishment of an HIV/AIDS
hot-line and counselling center in Egypt
DeJong1, Nasr Sayed2, Mervat Guineidy2, J.L. DeJong3. 1PO. Box 2344
Garden City Cairo; 2Ministry of Health AIDS program manager Cairo; 3Ford
Foundation, Cairo, Egypt
This paper would describe the successful experience of establishing a confidential
HIV/AIDS telephone Hot-Line and counselling centre by the Egyptian National
AIDS Program at the Ministry of Health in Cairo. Opened in September, 1996, this
hot-line is the first of its kind in the Middle East and demand for it has surpassed
expectations, at 1,000 callers on average per month. Calls have been received
from every governorate of Egypt and also from the Arab Gulf counties, where
Arabic newspapers advertizing the Hot-Line are also read. Most of the callers
have proved to be unmarried young men, who lack other channels of accurate
information about AIDS and basic sex education. The experience has illustrated
that this mode of communication can be effective in a conservative cultural context
such as that of Egypt.
The experience of esetablishing the hot-line has pointed to the importance of
anonyumous and confidential sources of information about HIV/AIDS in Egypt.
33460 An internet web site fighting AIDS, other diseases and
against social exclusion
Gilbert Maurisson, C. Boullangier, S. Maillot, D. Lavigne, A. Richert, A. Caprani.
POSITIFS Association, BP 230, Paris Cedex, Paris, France
Issues: To describe the possibilities offered by an Internet web site to inform
and fight against AIDS and other serious diseases, its advantages compared to
other communication ways, and the higher number of persons, particularly from
french-speaking countries connected to our site ((http://www.positifs.org)).
Project: This Internet web site has been developed to provide informations
on numerous subjects concerning AIDS and other diseases. These informations
are written in french, some have already been translated to english and we are
about to translate them to other languages. This Internet web site is intended for
physicians as well as HIV+ or other persons. To develop our Internet web site,
we use informatic material belonging to several members of Positifs, association
fighting AIDS, and have at the moment no financial support.
Result: A year and a half after its creation, 100.000 connexions to this web
site have been noted (October 1997) and 140.000 will be soon reached (January
1998). More than 500 pages have been developed, informations on numerous
subjects concerning AIDS, particularly official and non-official treatments, various
testimonies, an index of associations and institutions taking part in AIDS fighting
composed of more than 1000 addresses classified by country. We are asked more
and more questions by e-mail, particularly from France, Africa, Belgium, Canada
and Switzerland. We lodge three other associations on our site; we propose a
similar service for other associations and institutions (free for the less fortunate).
Lessons Learned: Thanks to its rapidity of data transmission and to its weak
use coast, which is fundamental for developing countries, Internet is becoming
a precious communication tool for more and more people. In spite of the lack
of subvention, our web site ((http://www.positifs.org)) is already one of the most
consulted in Europe, and also in Canada and Africa (140.000 connexions). It
allows to edit numerous informations concerning AIDS, particularly official and
non-official treatments, and other diseases.
33461 Street theater against AIDS in Ceara, northeast Brazil
Telma A. Martins1, R.C. Junior2, F. Pianco2, J.M. Filho2, P. Domingues2. 1Rua
Manoel De Medeiros 974 Parquelandia Fortaleza-Ceara 60455-300; 2State
Secretariat of Health Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
Issue: The continuous advance of the HIV epidemic, now extending into the
Interior, and the magnitude of STDs in Ceara, Brazil, has stimulated the use
of innovative alternatives for communication and education, like street theater,
seeking to promote health and prevent STDs/AIDS, especially in low income
groups. In addition, these efforts stimulate the mobilization of the artistic class, for
reasons of self-protection, social commitment, and solidarity, since they were one

of the social groups most severely affected by AIDS in Brazil and in the world.
Project: The Project consists in the mobilization of street theater actors as
educators and uses the theatrical play "Condom Car", based on the popular
literature of local poets called "repentistas" or "cordelistas" in this part of Brazil.
The story brings to stage a back-country couple preparing their first night of love.
The script celebrates life, love and respect between the lovers, finally concluding
that the condom is the key to love without fear.

Results: After an introductory workshop which brought together 17 street theater groups, the State Secretariat of Health received and approved funds for 15
projects of such educative interventions. Approximately 100 presentations were
carried out in 2 months, reaching 15 cities. The support of the Municipal Secretariats of Health, the theater groups, the communities themselves and the favorable
coverage provided by the media stimulate a greater breadth and coverage of the
project as an educational strategy which is playful, creative and integrated with
the most genuine cultural values of the target-audience.
Lesions Learned: We are betting on an educational approach where, through
art, we win over the actors and their public by the emotion of a change of attitude
in the face of life and AIDS. The theater has shown a great power of social
mobilization at a quite reasonable cost.
33462 STOP AIDS media campaign on the theme of solidarity in
joint collaboration with an national NGO for handicapped
people
Markus Allemann1, Schlegel2, Rutmann3, Streit4. Federal Office of Public
Health, Campaigns Unit; 2Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, 3Swiss AIDS
Federation; 4Pro Infirmis, Switzerland
Issue: The promotion of solidarity is one of the three objectives within the Swiss
HIV/AIDS-programme. Every year since 1989 the STOP AIDS Campaign has run
a campaign on the theme of solidarity. In 1997, for the first time the solidaritycampaign was carried out in joint collaboration with an organisation that doesn't
work in the field of HIV/AIDS, but is just as concerned by solidarity.
Project: The Swiss Association PRO INFIRMIS, a nationally-active NGO for
the rights of people with a handicap agreed to openly appear in a joint media
campaign together with the Swiss AIDS Federation and the Federal Office of
Public Health. The result was a TV-spot showing a traditional Swiss folklore choir
singing a song on solidarity. An accompanying advertisement campaign shows
this little choir and makes an appeal for a world where neither people living with
HIV/AIDS nor disabled people are outsiders. The campaign is signed by STOP
AIDS and PRO INFIRMIS.
Results: The campaign received a positive response and the theme of solidarity was taken up by TV, Radio and printmedia for editorial contributions of
their own. The recipients largely accepted the joint appearance of PRO INFIRMIS
and STOP AIDS. This kind of collaboration has not led to any negative reactions
nor has it negatively influenced the donor-market or affected the image of the
involved organisations. The campaign was evaluated.
Lessons Learned: The collaboration with non HIV/AIDS organisations specifically on the theme of solidarity has shown to be useful and possible. The
confrontation with the theme was thus intensified, the chances of involvement
and contacts enhanced. However, this kind of rapprochement has to be approached with delicacy and the different cultures of the organisation involved
need to be respected.
S33463 Analysis of family communication about sex: What are
parents saying, and are their adolescents listening?
Kim S. Miller1, B.A. Kotchick2, S. Dorsey2, R. Forehand2, A.Y. Ham1. 'Centers
for Disease Control, MS E45, 1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA; 2University of
Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
Objectives: To examine communication between parents and adolescents about
10 sex topics, and whether parent-adolescent communication differed by gender of parent, gender of adolescent, or ethnicity of family; to examine whether
responsiveness of sexual communication was associated with discussion of sex
topics; and to examine levels of agreement across mothers and adolescents
about whether sex topics were discussed.
Methods: Separate interviews were conducted with 907 African American and
Hispanic public high school adolescents (aged 14-17), and their mothers. Adolescents reported on discussions with both mother and father, and mothers reported
on discussions with their adolescent. Multiple-item indices were developed for
parent-teen communication about sex (e.g., HIV/AIDS, STDs, condoms, sexual
decision making, sexual initiation), and responsiveness of sexual communication
(i.e., parent's knowledge, comfort, and skill in talking with teens about sex). For
all scales, >.74.
Results: HIV/AIDS, STDs, and condoms were the topics discussed most often
by parents and adolescents. Parent and adolescent gender, but not ethnicity, qualified initial findings about whether the topic was discussed. Overall, adolescents
reported talking more with mother than father about all topics (x2 (1) >21.54, p
<.01). However, for most topics, fathers were more likely to talk with sons and
mothers with daughters. Responsiveness of the communication between parent
and adolescent was positively associated with adolescent reports that topics were
discussed, and mother-adolescent agreement that they were discussed (both p
-.01). Mother and adolescent agreement ranged from 58% to 77% across topics.
Conclusions: Educational programs to facilitate communication about sex between parents and adolescents are needed. Our findings indicate that one way
to facilitate such communication is to enhance parental knowledge, comfort, and

skills. Educational programs to increase communication about sex must include
not only what is discussed but how it is discussed.