STD Prevention: Behavior Change

Safer Sex - Problems of Safer Sex Promotion

Cultural Problems - Ethnic
Many countries have ethnic minorities. They may have always lived there, or they have immigrated, or are still immigrating today. In any case, they are - and want to be - recognizable as minorities, because, to a greater or lesser extent, they maintain their original language and culture which may be quite different from that of the majority. Obviously, any comprehensive AIDS prevention campaign must try to reach ethnic minorities in their own language and with materials appropriate to their cultural sensibilities.

For example, in the USA the campaigns had to develop special materials for its large Spanish-speaking population, for its Native American and African-American citizens, and for its various Asian communities. In Europe, various Asian, Near-Eastern and North-African minorities had to be reached, and the recent influx of legal and illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe required new efforts to reach them as well. At the same time, the European Union brought free movement for its citizens from each member country to any other. As a result, multilingual approaches have become common in Europe. In each instance, the “safer sex “ message has to be tailored to the particular culture in question. This principle applies everywhere, and each country with ethnic minorities must find its own solution. On the other hand, it may also save time and money by learning from the experience of others.

Two examples from the USA
Specific guidelines for gay Asian Americans (left) and for gay African Americans (right) - Click on picture.