STD Prevention: Behavior Change

Safer Sex

Abstinence education may protect many individuals from STDs and unwanted pregnancies, but as a general policy of behavior change it has proved insufficient to stop the AIDS pandemic. Therefore, the only remaining alternative now deserves special attention: Safer sex.

The following sections describe how the concept of safer sex evolved, how it
was and continues to be adapted to different circumstances, and how it can be implemented in various cultures and subcultures today. Finally, there is a brief discussion of the problems raised by the promotion of safer sex.