STD Prevention: Behavior Change

Safer Sex - Problems of Safer Sex Promotion

It is never easy to change one’s habits, and this is especially true of sexual habits. However, since “safer sex“ is literally a matter of life and death, people deserve all the help they can get. Therefore, national and international public health authorities and many private organizations tirelessly repeat the message of AIDS prevention and condom use.
Some previous campaigns for behavior change have been relatively successful, at least in some countries: Getting vaccinated, wearing motorcycle helmets and seatbelts, reducing or giving up smoking. These encouraging examples raise some hope for AIDS prevention as well. Its message may not be heeded promptly and universally, but even small successes can, over time, make an enormous difference.
Still, there are problems that must not be underestimated: Many people have personal, subjective difficulties facing the new risks and acting accordingly. Many also encounter objective cultural, economic and political obstacles, and these have to be overcome before any prevention campaign can take hold.