Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

592 Abstracts ThPeF8006-ThPeF8010

XIV International AIDS Conference

ThPeF8006 Project Iceberg: an innovative approach with the
media to increase HIV/AIDS awareness among
primary and secondary school students
S.M.N. Mohd Noor. Malaysian AIDS Council, No.1, Jalan 16/3, 46350 Petaling
Jaya, Malaysia
Issue: A nationwide HIV/AIDS educational project, involving a newspaper, a political party, the Malaysian AIDS Council as well as a few companies in the private
sector, was undertaken over a period of seven weeks in 2001. The project was
aimed at the primary and secondary school students under the Chinese school
system. The objective of the project was to disseminate HIV/AIDS information as
well as to gauge existing levels of awareness among the students. The newspaper was used as the medium of communication.
Description: Articles regarding specific HIV/AIDS topics (basic HIV/AIDS information, treatment, care and support, prevention, youth and HIV/AIDS, and the
global and Malaysian HIV/AIDS scenario) were published (in Mandarin) in the
newspaper twice weekly for both the primary and secondary students. Students
participating were required to compile the articles of the six topics and answer
questions related to them. At the end of the publication of the sixth topic, participants were required to compose a slogan beginning with "If my friend has
HIV/AIDS..." The winners of the contest were then qualified to participate in
an elocution contest, which is the next phase. The title of the elocution contest
was "One voice, many faces, united for life." The winner at this competition was
sponsored to attend the 6th ICAAP. Total number of entries received was 21576.
Prizes were awarded for the school with the most number of correct entries and
for individual winners.
Conclusion: Based on the entries received, response for this project can be said
to be overwhelming. This indicates that an approach such as this was effective
in successfully capturing the interest and attention of both the primary and secondary school students. An evaluation will be done to ascertain whether this will
be able to sustain proper HIV/AIDS knowledge and awareness as well as the
possibility of extending the project to other school systems other than the Chinese schools.
Presenting author: Salmah Mohd Noor, No.1, Jalan 16/3, 46350 Petaling Jaya,
Malaysia, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected].
my
ThPeF8007 Positive news makes better impact
K.J. Jain. Institution, D-26 Gulmohar Park, New De/hi-49, India
Issues: HIV/AIDS is associated with too much of morbidity and mortality and
newspapers are no longer interested in HIV news which earlier would make it
to the front page.Yet presence of the issue is necessary in mainstream media.Positive stories have more readership and can also create an enabling environment for prevention.
Description: I studied the HIV/AIDS epidemic around the country by taking a
six-month sabbatical from my work as I wanted to see for myself the extent of
spread. Visiting the high prevalence states of India, I saw numerous pockets
where HIV was beginning to create havoc.It was necessary to put these stories
out to make people realize that the problem of HIV was for real.As the newspaper found the stories too morbid for a daily readership, a strategy was devised
to write the stories in a manner which would make them more readable and also
get the prevention messages across.An emphasis was given to the positive manner in which some people had learned to accept their status.These stories talked
about women accepting HIV positive husbands, widows groups coming together,
among others.Not only did these stories make it to the front pages of the newspaper, but also helped show the positive manner in which society had come to
grapple the issues.
Lessons Learned: Even preventive messages on HIV/AIDS are no longer picked
up if readers find it too morbid. News stories on HIV/AIDS have to reflect situations
and the changes that have taken place in society. Positive stories are necessary
to change current mindsets also.
Recommendations: If government and non government organizations and media would also work towards incorporating the positive messages rather than
harping on the images of sickness of death, people would perhaps pay more
attention and in the process absorb the preventive messages as well.
Presenting author: kalpana jain, D-26 Gulmohar Park, New Delhi-49, India, Tel.:
[phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeF8008 Building a dialogue between the ngos and the
community
A.R. Carretes, J. Carioca, A.C. Weinstein, J. Mitidieri, I.G. Queiroz,
G. Genovese, J. Pedrosa, M. Souza. Institution, r presidente domiciano, 150 -
inga - niteroi, 24210-271- rj, Brazil
Issue: In order to fight the Aids epidemic, relevant information related to both,

HIV prevention and pwa rights must be disseminated with agility and in an appropriated language to communities vulnerable to HIV Thus, organizations dealing
with Aids should strengthen their communication strategies and tools in order to
spread such an information.
Description: A non- governmental- organization that works in Niteroi- Rio de
Janeiro has created opportunities of dialogue with potential partners, such as
Publicity Firms, Community Based Radio Stations, Private Radio Stations, Cable

TV Stations and Newspapers in order to implement a Communication/ Media Plan
to convey HIV prevention campaigns, solidarity messages and institutional advertisements. The plan included the production of billboards, promotional peaces
and advertisements.
Lessons learned: Communication strategies are crucial to sensitize people from
all walks of life to combat Aids and to contribute to the political sustainability of
organizations that work with Aids. Despite the lack of financial resources it is
possible to develop a communication strategy by the establishement of key partnerships.
Recommendation: NGOs should cultivate key media relations to explore opportunities of generating publicity around the Aids issue and disseminating information about HIV/Aids prevention and treatment.
Presenting author: antonio roberto carretes, r presidente domiciano, 150 - inga
- niteroi, 24210-271- rj, Brazil, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], Email: [email protected]
ThPeF8009 HIV/AIDS media campaigns in Taiwan: From
morality-centered to culture-specific design,
implementation and evaluation
M.L. Hsu. National Chengchi University, Department of Journalism, National
Chengchi University, 64 Sec. 2, Chinan Rd., Wenshan, Taipei 116, Taiwan
Issues: The study aims to review the features of the national HIV/AIDS media
campaigns in Taiwan. Special attention will later be given to the 2001 media campaign, Men and AIDS: I Care, Do You? in which more culture-specific and pragmatic strategies were used and the campaign effectiveness was for the first time
evaluated.
Description: Between 1984 and 1990, stigmatized fear appeals had been common to discourage same sex behaviors among men. Since 1990, warnings to discourage heterosexual men from visiting sex workers became predominant. Starting in 1995, public awareness of the rights of PLWAs has been raised; condom
use was also officially endorsed. In the recent 2001 campaign targeted at sexually active adult males, a choice of the popular but controversial singer Jacky Wu
as the spokesperson has generated expected extensive news coverage and thus
greater public attention.
Lessons learned: Before 1998, HIV/AIDS campaign messages focused predominantly on transmission knowledge rather than induced behavioral change.
Rational appeals were used as the major delivery style. Most messages did not
use spokespersons as credible/likable sources and were not targeted at specific
groups. The first campaign evaluation was conducted by a nationwide telephone
survey of 1,425 adults in 2001. Relatively high portions of the sample knew about
(68.6%), remembered (60.1%) and acknowledged the helpfulness (68.2%) of the
messages. Television (87%) is the major channel to learn about the campaign.
The theme of condom use was highly identified (57.3%), but sexual faithfulness
was still most favored.
Recommendations: More acceptance of pragmatic condom use needs to be
promoted in the future campaigns. More culturally relevant messages need to
be incorporated into the campaign designs. More studies need to be conducted
in search of effective message appeals targeted at specific groups. Systematic
campaign evaluations need to be continued.
Presenting author: Mei-ling Hsu, Department of Journalism, National Chengchi
University, 64 Sec. 2, Chinan Rd., Wenshan, Taipei 116, Taiwan, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: mlshiu @ nccu.edu.tw
ThPeF8010 Rethinking the relation between media circuits, gay
men and health promotion
M.E. Hurley', D. Ryan2, G.W. Dowsett1, S. Misson. 1Australian Research
Centre in Sex, Health and Society La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia;
2Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, Sydney, Australia
Issues: In the developed world, HIV prevention for gay men is challenged by how
gayness circulates in 4 media relays: international gay and non-gay electronic
and print media including the Internet; local community-based gay media and
HIV media. Gay men in developed gay communities are affected by significant
HIV incidence & increasing unprotected sex. Dominant forms of health promotion
have limited understandings of how medical knowledge is relayed in media circuits and the effects of less epidemic 'connectedness' in gay communities and of
the long term exposure to HIV social marketing. Prevention advertising becomes
'wallpaper', and 'risk' has less salience. Combined with silence around HIV positive sex, the result is forms of health promotion out of touch with ways of living
gay.
Description: Research on 'Positive Living', a nationally distributed, communitybased HIV treatments (CBHT) magazine, and on information flows, highlighted
HIV treatments media specifically as constituents of cultures of self care which
also narrate positive sexuality. The research allows us to configure the fields in
which HIV social networks speak publicly about sex and how CBHT media inter
act with the other 3 media circuits narrating gayness.
Lessons learned: Media 'reach' is a cultural as well as quantitative distribution
issue. HIV media offer an interface between prevention education and care and
support. HIV social networks are partly constituted by treatments media relaying
practices of self-care, as well as of gayness and sex. Gay sexual networks and
community media, however, are unpredictably attached to therapeutic notions of
care. CBHT media are part of wider cultures of social caring that include both HIV