Persuading People To Have Safer Sex

• Contents: Preface. Introduction. Cognitive Foundations of AIDS Prevention Behavior. Social Psychological and Communication Perspectives on Unsafe Sex. Culture, Poverty, and AIDS. Applying Persuasion Theories to AIDS Prevention. AIDS Prevention Campaigns. AIDS Stigma and Persuasion.

"Perloff makes a major theoretical contribution in enhancing our knowledge of the most deadly sexually transmitted disease in world history."—CHOICE"Undoubtedly, undergraduate and graduate students will find this easy-to-follow, engaging text very attractive and insightful....In essence, Persuading People to Have Safer Sex is appropriate for anyone interested in learning thought-provoking ideas about how to motivate people to practice preventative HIV/AIDS measures [as] well as other healthy behaviors."—Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly"Persuading People to Have Safer Sex constitutes an important contribution to worldwide efforts to fight the AIDS pandemic....the book's main strength resides in its explanation for why HIV is having a devastating effect on some communities and how mass media can effectively contribute to fight the pandemic."—The Southern Communication Journal"Persuading People to Have Safer Sex: Applications of Social Science to the AIDS Crisis is a beautifully written book. Communication strategies are the cornerstone of many HIV/AIDS prevention activities. As such, this timely and practical text will be of vital interest to scholars and students alike. Perloff presents an excellent overview of communication theories and their application in HIV/AIDS prevention research. He further articulates how the communication sciences have contributed significantly to our understanding of HIV risk and prevention efforts. This text is a must read for anyone seeking to apply persuasion theories for designing HIV/AIDS risk reduction interventions, creating HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns, or developing programs at reducing HIV/AIDS related stigma."—Gina WingoodEmory University, Rollins School of Public Health"AIDS is one of those rare problems that becomes a personal or public issue for just about everyone. Richard Perloff does an elegant job of integrating a wide-ranging literature into an easy to read introduction to how social scientists apply ideas about persuasion to disease prevention. With its many examples and down to earth explanations, this book will help students understand what social scientists and health promotion professionals do, and why. Perloff is especially adept at illustrating praxis, those ways in which theories can be used as tools to guide and assist health promotion activities."—James W. DearingMichigan State University"A valuable resource for practitioners, researchers, and students alike. This book offers a thorough and complete discussion of the many facets of HIV/AIDS infection, how we perceive it, and the ways to prevent it. Perloff has created a real contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS infection in that this book not only explores what HIV/AIDS is, our attitudes toward it, and what to do about it, but offers cultural and theoretical insights into the fight against the disease. His frank and honest discussions breathe fresh air into the discussion on how to prevent HIV/AIDS infection. I urge those on the frontlines of the fight against the disease to read this book and carry it with them. It will make a difference in their lives, as well as the people they work with."—Kim WitteMichigan State University