CONTENTS
- The Condom Gap: A Health Crisis
- Sexual Behavior and Condoms
- Knowledge of Condoms and AIDS
- How Effective Are Condoms?
- New Condoms for the New Millennium
- Improving Access
- Promoting Condoms
- Policies for Condom Use
HIGHLIGHTS
- HIV/AIDS still spreading fast
- Changing the image of condoms
- Behavior change to avoid AIDS
- Ensuring condom quality
- Protecting young people
- Is the female condom promising?
- Sales marketing sales grow
- Condoms: a good investment
April, 1999
Series H, Number 9
AIDS has ushered in a new era of condom promotion. Condoms are one of the oldest of modern contraceptive methods and have been available for many years. Before AIDS, however, only a few programs actively promoted condoms for family planning (105). Today, condoms are promoted widely as part of AIDS-prevention campaigns (12, 92, 528). Promotion often stresses the dual role of condoms for family planning and avoiding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
It can be difficult to promote a practice or a product that can interfere with sexual pleasure, can be awkward to use, provides no immediate rewards, is often associated with distrust and immorality, and whose reliability and effectiveness are often questioned. To be effective, condom promotion must engage people, reach them emotionally, and persuade them that using condoms is important, acceptable, convenient, and the social norm (see sidebar, Creating a Positive Image of Condom Use).
As successful condom promotion efforts show, well-designed communication strategies have the potential to slow the spread of STIs, if combined with expanded access to condoms.
 Society for Family Health/Lovers Plus Condoms |
Effective condom promotion uses a variety of approaches, including humor, as in this South African advertisement. TV, radio, and every other means that reaches the audience can be used. |
