Effectively Communicating About HIV and Other Health Disparities: Findings From a Literature Review and Future Directions

Abstract

Despite significant progress in the prevention and treatment of HIV, disparities in rates of infection remain among key groups in the United States, including blacks and African Americans; Hispanics/Latinos; and men who have sex with men (MSM). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' initiative, Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America, calls for addressing HIV-related disparities and reducing stigma and discrimination associated with HIV. The goal of this literature review was to identify approaches for effectively communicating about health disparities across the HIV care continuum. We reviewed the literature to investigate strategies used to communicate health disparities and to identify potential unintended adverse effects resulting from this messaging. Messages about health disparities often target subgroups at higher risk and can be framed in a variety of ways (e.g., social comparison, progress, impact, etiological). Studies have examined the effects of message framing on the risk perceptions, emotional reactions, and behaviors of individuals exposed to the messaging. The evidence points to several potential unintended adverse effects of using social comparison framing and individual responsibility framing to communicate about health disparities, and visual images and exemplars to target messages to higher-risk subgroups. There is not yet a clear evidence-based approach for communicating about health disparities and avoiding potential unintended effects. However, we offer recommendations for communicating about HIV-related disparities based on our findings. Because we found limited literature that addressed our research questions in the context of HIV, we propose a research agenda to build an evidence base for developing effective messages about HIV-related disparities.

Barriers and Gaps in Effective Health Communication at Both Public Health and Healthcare Delivery Levels During Epidemics and Pandemics; Systematic Review

“…22 The use or overuse of technical language will increase the risk of misinterpretation and decrease the likelihood of positive changes in preventative behaviors. 23 Public health agencies should constantly improve and update their approaches in utilizing both mass media and social media channels. While it is neither feasible nor advisable for governments and health agencies to exert complete control over what general media publishes, it is important to prioritize inputs and insights from independent scientists and experts as these direct health communicators could help improve the acceptance of the messages less affiliated with governmental instutitions.…”

“…Moreover, promoting positive or preventative behaviors and community safety should be prioritized over fear-based approaches to engage the public. 14,23,26 By providing accurate and narrative-type stories to news agencies, public health and healthcare agencies may be able to provide support for positive communication and improve the delivery of accurate information through the media.…”

Ramy w prasowych przekazach o zdrowiu w kontekście ich (nie)etyczności

“…Odbiorcy doniesień na temat otyłości, zachęcani przez ramy do tego -jak to ujął Entman -by czuć, myśleć i decydować w określony sposób, mogą dojść do wniosku, że posiadana nadwaga jest rezultatem ich niefrasobliwego postępowania, a nie mogąc zrzucić nadmiarowych kilogramów, zaczynają sami siebie oskarżać, wpadają w przygnębienie, izolują się społecznie (Temmann i in. 2021), odczuwają wstyd, ponieważ nie są w stanie wdrożyć rekomendowanych działań (Peinado i in. 2020).…”

Health communication in and out of public health emergencies: to persuade or to inform?

“…For example, well-intended information campaigns to reduce obesity and the health consequences of obesity may have contributed to blaming, shaming and stigmatizing obese people [ 39 ]. Health communication about HIV and AIDS that used threats or scare tactics contributed to stigmatization [ 40 ]. The use of threats or scare tactics during the COVID-19 pandemic also may have contributed to stigmatization [ 36 ].…”