Last week’s print edition of The Economist provided an overview of the latest International AIDS conference held in Mexico. If the gloomy picture depicted by the weekly is not completely accurate – in particular when it comes to vaccines and microbicides for which more than 30 trials are still ongoing despite the failure of the Merck vaccine and Carraguard microbicide last year, the magazine provides a good sketch of the fight against HIV and AIDS to date.

Of particular interest is the role that “behaviour change” will play in the new “combination prevention” approach that is emerging from the conference.

“Behavioural change is, in some ways, prevention’s orphan. The chiding voice saying “use a condom” or, worse, “don’t have sex with anyone other than your regular partner”, is not what most people want to hear.” wrote The Economist noting that “Peter Piot, the head of UNAIDS, thinks that much more could be done in this area. Social science, even when it emphasises the “science” over the “social”, can only achieve so much. Sometimes, you just have to bring in the professionals. To that end, he and his colleagues have already had informal talks with marketing experts from Procter & Gamble about getting the message over in a subtle and effective manner. Marketing people also understand that markets vary, and tailor their message accordingly.”

The need for subtle message is questionable, after all Coke and washing powder advertisments are rarely subtle. Beside, messages that try to be to subtle often fail (think Playstation II’s The Third Place) and historically speaking “use a condom” (or die) was the unsubtle but efficient marketing message that stopped the progression of the epidemics in the ‘s90 in the West. When the message finally failed to be efficient it was because it had not changed for the last 20 years, the fright wore off, treatments started to work, life went on. Nowadays scare tactics would have little credibility or impact, at least in the developed world where treatment and care are available.

Will subtle marketing messages work in countries like Africa or in group at risk like Men who have Sex with Men (MSM)? Should the messages go beyond safe sex and foster self respect, promote equality, fight stigma and discrimination?

What is certain is that protected sex need to be shamelessly sold, one way or another. So far, and as it has finally been recognized, both the message and the groups at risk have been let down in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The challenge of the coming years is to address this promptly.

[email_link]

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.