Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The San Francisco Chronicle - Monday, October 11, 1999
Elaine Herscher, Chronicle Staff Writer
AIDS prevention experts have noted for some time that many gay men make little or no effort to learn their sex partners' HIV status, but instead make guesses based on appearances or behavior. They have also noted that in environments where men have anonymous sex, conversation is often discouraged and that the subject of one's HIV status is taboo.
Researchers have identified the assumption factor as a leading reason gay men do not always use condoms.
New ads will begin appearing today in bus shelters in the Castro and South of Market and later be extended to other parts of the city. They will also run in lesbian and gay magazines.
"I'm positive. I assumed he was too," says one of the new ads. "How do you know what you know?" the ad continues.
A different version of the ad addresses HIV-negative men with the same message. Above the copy are photo montages that at first glance look like flowers or molecules, but are in fact men's torsos.
"It's very visually gripping," said the foundation's communications director, Gustavo Suarez. "The image itself is not immediately obvious, and so it ties into the theme: How do you know?"
The campaign is based on studies by the AIDS Foundation and the University of California at San Francisco's Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, which show an increase in unprotected anal sex among gay men. At the same time, men are saying that frequently they have anal intercourse without condoms because they are relying on subtle cues as to who is HIV-positive and who isn't.
Of gay and bisexual men who became positive, 71 percent said they did not know the HIV status of at least some of their partners, according to a 1996 study by the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
"People are looking at each other and thinking, `He looks healthy, he's got a lovely apartment. He's too young to have HIV. He dresses too well,' " Suarez said. "It's a million and one ways that people are coming to this conclusion."
Suarez points out that gay men in San Francisco have done an extraordinary job of reducing new infections -- from 5,000 or 6,000 yearly in the 1980s to 500 annually today. The foundation is aiming toward an infection rate of zero.
"We want people to stop and think, `How do I react in these situations?' " Suarez said. "It's not telling people to do this or do that. Different men will come to different decisions."
991011
SC991002
Copyright © 1999 - San Francisco Chronicle Press. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the San Francisco Chronicle, Permissions Desk, 901 Mission Street, San Franciso, CA 94103. You may also send a fax to (415) 495-3843, or an email message to chronperm@sfgate.com. http://www.sfgate.com.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1999. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1999. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .