Pic: Jonathan Kitchen/Getty Images
Long after the top on the United states
HELPS
situation,
HIV
is still an issue among gay guys, who’re identified as having the condition for a price “more than 40 times compared to females and more than 44 times that of some other males,” as a
previous paper
when you look at the
Journal of Hospital Online Analysis
explains. The paper, a survey of various tech-driven methods to decrease the price of
HIV
contained in this at-risk population, points toward the next generation of (hopefully) effective
interventions.
There are some fascinating options planned, given that study’s
press release explains
:
One entertaining site, Sexpulse, crafted by medical researchers and computer system scientists to focus on males exactly who look for sexual partners on the internet, effectively reduced high-risk sexual behaviors. Another site, Stick With It! (
KIU
), utilized video gaming in reducing prices of exposed rectal intercourse. A 3rd effort, an online computer game, aided mitigate pity experienced by some young men with gender with men, although decline in dangerous sexual behavior wasn’t statistically
considerable.
The process let me reveal much less about
exactly what
information to produce, since the basics of exactly how
HIV
and
HELPS
work have-been rather well-publicized at this point, than ideas on how to provide it, since simply detailing that a behavior is hazardous can be maybe not adequate adjust
it.
It’s important to suggest this does not simply apply at gay males; folks participate in all sorts of hazardous habits, from substance abuse to overeating to cigarette smoking to having inactive lifestyles, despite being informed they are harmful. This is exactly why issue of getting people to make more healthy choices is actually an enormous part of concern for public-health scientists â designing a fruitful behavior input could be an extremely complicated action to take. (we’re going to be posting an extended, more detailed article about this subject
quickly.)
A few of the most beneficial strategies logically target internet sites â peer pressure can affect all of us with techniques some other appeals typically dont. This is borne call at the
overview:
On social networking sites for example Facebook and Twitter, preferred individuals can distribute
HIV
-prevention emails to their pals and followers. The sharing of real information about
HIV
screening join the dating app via this source on a myspace and facebook seemed to increase needs for
HIV
testing systems, one research found. Another research learned that making use of viewpoint leaders to share
HIV
-prevention details via social networking sites may increase assessment prices and bolster condom use during rectal intercourse with associates located
using the internet.
It really is a really unusual quirk of person thinking that packaging the same kind of info in a slightly various method can result in far better effects. Fortunately, professionals are starting to capitalize on
this.