to think we should remarket and bring back the AIDS ads from the 90's

[Mammie81]

Ive been thinking recently (esp as I had a compulsory HIV test when I fell pregnant)...

Surely everyone remembers the Ads from the early 90's. (Man carving the word AIDS into a gravestone with scary horror style music, smoke and a voice over claiming there was a new plague)

I understand the ad cant be shown in its current guise as the early 90's were a time when doctors had an elementary understanding of the virus, its transmission, and few stats on how many people may unknowingly have carried it. I also think that shown now it might scare people into not getting tested, and add to the stigma surrounding AIDS and HIV.

However:

Im sure it worked to some degree. Most people I know in my age group are still terrified about catching the virus. The focus now is on stopping teenage pregnancy and treating other STI's such as chlamydia and syphilis. But as a documentary I watched last week examined, this is a huge strain on the NHS and up to 3 teenage girls a week are finding themselves HIV postive.

Should these ad's be remarketed and shown again? Or would that be reverting to a time when we understood little and used scare tactics as a means of making people comply?

(My DP says Im overly militant about some issues and Im totally willing to accept I might be! Flame away!)

It relied on the idea that transmission amongst the heterosexual population would be rapid and frequent. That's manifestly untrue, and widely known to be so. It wasn't just the ads, it was the genuine fear that it might ravage the population. The actual risk factors are also things that are hard to put into an advert without upsetting a lot of special interest groups.

I remember the ads, they gave me nightmares as i was only about 11! they were certainly thought provoking!

Thats what I mean Tokyo, perhaps they could be updating to include current facts on the virus. It could also be used to educate people that were traumatised by the originals?

I definately think a new campaign should be launched specifically on this topic. It seems to have been forgotton (at least by the media anyway)

I agree, i remember them actually starting up in the mid 80s as i was a young teenager then. ok they were scary but i still remembered them through my teens and 20s and they certainly influenced me.

i think scary action is required, tbh, judging by the astonishing attitude to condoms shown on The Hospital last week.

I agree, I think the scare tactics of the 80s worked. I was only little when they came on tv and didn't totally understand what was going on or how exactly how you got it but I was scared stiff. I have never forgotten those ads and it did alter my behaviour. I think I may have been more lax with contraception if I had never seen those ads. Sexually active kids today don't seem to have an appropriate level of fear of AIDS, some even believe it's been cured.

YANBU. BTW though, HIV test in pregnancy is not compulsory, its suggested.

There is a rapidly growing incidence in those in their 50s too, presumably not thinking they might be at risk? Ads should be marketed at them too.

You had a Compulsory HIV test when u became pregnant????

The midwife said 'we'll put you down for all the tests then?' and I acquiesed. I thought in some areas of the UK they were compulsory.

I dont think thats really the point though.

Adverts only work if they contain a kernel of plausibility. The problem with "you will all die of teh aidz if you don't use teh condoms" is that it doesn't, for most people's experience, contain any truth at all. It's the same problem as trying to scare people out of taking "soft" drugs: it's hard to convince teenagers they're dangerous when half of them are off their faces every weekend.

In the 1980s, no-one knew, so the fear of the unknown was a plausible strategy. Today, the rates of heterosexual HIV infection amongst non IV-drug using heterosexuals other than those with direct or indirect contact with sub-Saharan Africa is so small that for most people it's a trivial risk, like being struck by lightening. The more you tell people it's very dangerous, the less credible you look.

I think Mammie81 has a point here though about our way of engaging with teenagers as if they are adult and they know the score. the ads about the risks of chlamydia etc are trying to be all sexy and cool, i'm not sure that's really appropriate. Trying to make government health warnings look like other ads because apparently teenagers are so sophisticated at decoding them just makes them as forgetable as other ads IMO, to go slightly off topic, what about the terrifying heroin adverts of the 80s? they scared the crap out of me and i don't see any effort to even make a judgement in the literature on drug use now, it's just FRANK and lets talk about your casual drug use shall we?! o god. i. am. old.!!!

That rubbish one with the speech bubbles that recently advertised getting tested against STI's highlights the soft approach that is taken now.

Tokyo, I dont feel that only teenagers need educating on this matter. As someone here said, the over 50's demographic have seen a recent rise in infections.

I understand your point about the unknown in the 80's/90's which is why such a blanket approach was taken (along with the ads, flyers were sent to every home in the UK), however most people are still unaware of how AIDS will kill you. They think they can manage the symptoms with drugs forever, which is simply not true.

You say 'Adverts only work if they contain a kernel of plausibility.' I personally think HIV is a plausible virus which has been on the increase every year since its discovery. I also think explaining clearly and honestly that an immuno-compromised life is a hard one, followed by a terrible death.

I also bet that a decrease in unplanned pregnancy, and savings for the NHS would be wonderful side effect's of a campaign too!

off topic but my uncle did the voice overs for the adds, I had just gone into high school, I had a terrible time with other children making comments about my uncles HIV status, at a time of such uncertainty in was quite horrible BUT I was really proud of him for doing it (he is not HIV possitive not that it matters), I could see how inportant it was, now well it's a diferent time, maybe it's not that the dangers of HIV and AIDS needs to be pushed more but the whole way the dangers of STDS are portraied, maybe people need to be scared to death on all STDs not just HIV and AIDS, I think an accross the board campain would be best, stop trying to be friendly and soft and start giving some of the cold hard facts streight up, suitable for all age ranges.

Roadkill, your uncle is one scary dude! He definately influenced me as a kid!

I just think its odd that we have lots of ad's/leaflets/information about STI's that are curable, but the one that will kill you is totally overlooked? We used to hear of it everywhere (remember Diane on eastenders explaining how you could catch it to Mark when he found out he was positive!)

Ads should at least say, best result is that using a condom means you dont die early, and guess what! You wont get a green knob discharge either! SCORE!

Also Tokyo, the virus evolves so quickly that current treatments can only last so long.