Lost generation: Are modern HIV campaigns failing younger gays?

via Pink News, by Ramsey Dehani

As someone reminded me recently, people born in the early nineties are now reaching adulthood. It is safe to say that these younger gays will not remember the images of the AIDS scare in the 1980s and 1990s.

With modern HIV advertising focusing less on condom use, are the younger generation being ill-advised on the dangers of unsafe sex?

The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), Britain's largest sexual health charity, has recently launched a campaign called 'THIVK' aimed at knowing your HIV status and getting tested. It is the first 'testing' campaign in ten years.

Advertising advocating condom use has become harder to find, with many gay magazines containing none at all.

THT itself has come under scrutiny over its refusal to use hard-hitting campaigns because it does not want to "demonise" HIV sufferers.

The modern promotions are a world apart from the infamous 'tombstone' and 'iceberg' ads of the 1980s.

But it appears many people still "die of ignorance". With infection rates among gay men climbing 110 per cent between 1999-2007 (1,450 cases to 3,050), there is an argument for more hard-hitting campaigns.

I spoke to a 20-year-old gay student about his views on safe sex. He said: "Condoms are really important. I always try to use them." But he added: "Sometimes I forget though, especially when I'm drunk."

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