Compare the striking contrast of the HIV/AIDS control efforts of 25 years ago and those of today

Answer 1

Many public health efforts, especially earlier ones, correctly identified that (in Western countries) men who had unprotected sex with men were at high risk for HIV infection. Thus, communication campaigns, condom distribution efforts, and other initiatives were launched in gay communities in an effort to stem the rapidly spreading epidemic. These efforts epitomized a high-risk approach to public health promotion. Over time, however, the HIV/AIDS pattern became far more complex, spreading quickly through Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, and among heterosexuals. With the identification of additional risks through blood transfusions and vertical (mother-to-neonate) transmission, it became clear that most people and not just a small segment of communities and societies were at some risk. A striking contrast can now be found between HIV/AIDS control efforts of 25 years ago and those of today. Although communication efforts do not tend to target those at very low risk of infection (e.g., elementary school children, elderly couples), elements of current PAR-based promotion include de-stigmatization campaigns, the promotion of screening and treatment adherence, and empowering women to demand that they be protected from potentially infected partners. For example, in Uganda and other countries with aggressive control campaigns, virtually everyone is exposed to the "ABC" message (abstinence, be faithful, use a condom), regardless of their risk profile.?