San Francisco Public Health Campaign Targets Men Who Seek Sexual Partners Through Internet Chat Forums
The San Francisco Department of Public Health AIDS Office and Bristol-Myers Squibb Virology have begun a public health campaign aimed at helping gay men seeking sexual partners in online chat forums communicate more effectively, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The campaign, called "Be-Clear," is intended to help gay men interpret "codes" -- such as "D&D free" for "drug and disease free" -- that are commonly used in online forums to help reduce the risk of HIV infection or other sexually transmitted diseases, according to the Chronicle. Social marketing designers Raul Cabra and Andy Williams, who created the campaign, said that gay men often misinterpret the messages, the Chronicle reports. Campaign posters appear in San Francisco subway stations, and the campaign also has a Web site -- be-clear.org -- with additional information regarding the online codes (San Francisco Chronicle, 6/23).
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