The Role of Public Information in HIV/AIDS Prevention

Public information activities alone do not represent a sufficient HIV prevention strategy.  However, planning and implementing effective and efficient public information programs are essential to successful HIV/AIDS prevention efforts.

As defined here, the purposes of public information programs are to:

• Build general support for safe behavior.
• Support personal risk reduction.
• Inform persons at risk about infection and how to obtain specific services.
• Encourage volunteerism.
• Decrease prejudice against persons with HIV disease.

Public information programs craft and deliver data-driven and consumer-based messages and strategies to target audiences.

The public information program standards and guidelines set forth here are based on CDC's standards for health communication.

Definitions

CDC defines health communication as a "multidisciplinary, theory-based practice designed to influence the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of individuals and communities" (Roper, 1993). Sound health communication practice is based on a combination of behavioral and communication sciences, health education, and social marketing. Current practice extends beyond information dissemination to include a variety of proactive strategies addressing both individual and societal change.

A communication (public information) program is the delivery of planned messages through one or more channels to target audiences through the use of materials.

Successful public information programs share a number of basic characteristics, which include:

• A person in charge who manages the program well.
• Activities planned to fit what the community and target audience need and want.
• A variety of activities, including mass media, that can be directed over a period of time to the target audience.
• A measurable program objective or purpose.
• A commitment to evaluation – tracking and measuring progress toward objectives.
• A time schedule.
• Efficient use of people and other resources.

Well-planned and well-executed health communication in public information programs can accomplish the following:

• Raise awareness.
• Increase knowledge.
• Refute myths and misconceptions.
• Influence attitudes and social norms.
• Reinforce knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors.
• Suggest and enable action.
• Show the benefits of a behavior.
• Increase support and/or demand for services.
• Help coalesce organizational relationships.

Public information programs should use multiple approaches to motivate and involve people and communities. Using health communication methodologies, however, is not sufficient to guarantee change. Plans for creating sustained behavior change should include information/communications in combination with other prevention strategies. In this way, effective communications can significantly enable and contribute to change. For example, public information programs funded by CDC carry out parts of CDC's overall HIV prevention strategy.  Consumer-influenced messages and strategies are best achieved by a systematic approach involving research, planning, implementation, evaluation, and feedback.  The purpose of this section is to offer guidelines for conducting public information programs that have been developed as integral parts of an overall HIV-prevention strategy.

In addition to planning, pretesting, and evaluating public information strategies, specific components of public information programs – producing educational materials, working with the print and broadcast media, hotlines, and special events – are addressed here.

Go to Planning for Public Information