ABSTRACT
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was relatively rare among young adults and adolescents. Thus, fear of AIDS in the high threat/low efficacy condition appeared to generate avoidance strategies and caused individuals to do the opposite of what was advocated; they used condoms less. Efficacy was operationalized as response and self-efficacy. For instance, the no-message control group had high response and self-efficacy perceptions in regard to condoms. These high efficacy baseline rates suggest that college students think that condoms are effective in preventing AIDS. Careful attention to the complex and interrelated processes surrounding sexual behavior may help public health practitioners develop realistic and feasible AIDS-prevention programs. Using threatening messages to motivate people into action may be the first step in a complete and well thought-out AIDS prevention program. Alarmingly, even though teens are knowledgeable about AIDS prevention measures, many of them do little to prevent it or other sexually transmitted diseases.
