Clinically correct? AIDS education in Ontario in the 1980s and 1990s.

Abstract

This paper reviews AIDS prevention initiatives in Canada and the United States in the 1980s and 1990s, and presents a content analysis of print materials used in Ontario during this period. Problems in public health publications included biased approaches, inaccessible or clinical language, anti-sex messages, and imprecise or ambiguous information. Community AIDS groups pioneered creative and effective pedagogical approaches that merit the careful attention of health educators. The Toronto case study showed how public health departments and schools collaborated successfully with community groups, most notably the AIDS Committee of Toronto.