ABSTRACT
Strategic health communication campaigns are currently the best available public health strategy for curtailing the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), considering that there are no effective techniques for vaccinating the public against the disease (Brown, 1991; Edgar, Hammond, & Freimuth, 1989; Nussbaum, 1989; Reardon, 1990). Strategic campaigns must be designed to help targeted audiences recognize their HIV risk, convey appropriate strategies for minimizing risk, and motivate audiences to implement these strategies (Atkin, 1981; Kreps & Maibach, 1991; Rubinson & Alles, 1984; Tones, 1986). Health communication is a crucial element in disease prevention and health promotion campaigns because the provision of relevant and persuasive health information is the primary social process that can empower individuals to take charge of their own health (Kreps, 1988; Reardon, 1988).
