Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bay Area Reporter - April 6, 2001
Katie Szymanski
Many activists hope so, pointing out that no one with AIDS symptoms and/or HIV drug side effects is going to be scaling mountains or biking through the wilderness, despite the images that appear in ads for available treatments. In short, by using hot, buff men to sing the praises of several pills a day, drug companies are using sex to sell their products, activists say. And when it comes to HIV/AIDS, promoting sex and a healthy body after HIV infection is an equation that spells more unprotected sex, which of course keeps AIDS drug companies in business.
In an attempt to break the cycle, Board of Supervisors President Tom Ammiano will be holding a hearing on Thursday, April 12, with the goal of banning such advertisements from bus shelters, subways, and city property unless the drug companies agree to devote equal space to promote condom use and prevention. Sparked by the findings of a recent San Francisco Department of Public Health survey that showed a strong link between riskier sex practices and glamorous HIV drug advertisements, the hearing will take place before the Housing, Transportation, and Land Use Committee and will focus on fact finding, resulting in recommendations to the full board and possibly yielding legislation.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Ammiano told the Bay Area Reporter, noting that results of the DPH survey will be cited at the hearing.
One such finding is that 72 percent of gay and straight men surveyed agreed that HIV drug advertisements "portray men who are healthy, handsome, and strong." Sixty-two percent agreed that the advertisements affect decisions about unprotected sex.
It has been more than 30 years since the Marlboro Man was first used to lure people into addiction; since then, the original Marlboro Man has died of lung cancer, and the percentage of Americans who smoke has declined. Perhaps one day drug companies will act socially responsible when it comes to publicizing all the horrors of side effects and AIDS, but until then, say AIDS activists, a ban such as the one proposed by Ammiano may be necessary.
Next Thursday's hearing is at 1 p.m. in the committee room on the second floor of City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, and is open to the public.
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