Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1989. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Commentary: Preventing AIDS: Self-Interest and Public Spirit
AIDS & Public Policy Journal 4, no. 2 (1989): 131 Mark A. Rodwin
An AIDS prevention strategy based on the promotion of self-interested behavior will be only partially effective because sexual behavior is not governed by self-interest alone. It is true that sex is a private activity that initially appears unrelated to civic behavior. Moreover, people do engage in sexual activity for their own gratification, sometimes with little concern for others: witness the sex industry and the literature of sexual domination, exploitation, and betrayal. But sex is often an expression of intimacy and affection, attitudes that are accompanied by caring and respect for others. These feelings can evoke generosity and altruism. Furthermore, sexual activity today has a public aspect. Discussions of sexual behavior and AIDS have entered the schools and the news media. Both private action and public norms reflect and influence public-spirited behavior in the realm of sex. Policy that relies on self-interested behavior along will fail to tap these powerful motivations. A prevention policy should include a place for public spirit and recognize that people sometimes do for others what they will not do for themselves. Public spirit is often heightened in times of adversity such as war. It is easy to remain self-interested when all is well, but crisis evokes a sense of public responsibility even in the complacent. AIDS is a crisis that has the potential to bring out civic virtue. However, public spirit is sensitive to the surrounding environment. It must be nourished and encouraged. The great moral leaders have always taught by their own example. As Justice Brandeis stated in his dissent in Olmstead v. United States, "Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example."
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Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1989. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
