Abstract

HIV/AIDS has become a global pandemic affecting ever facet of humanity. Without adequate access to prevention methods, education, screening and care the devastating impact of AIDS will continue to destroy economic and social structures across the developing world. Thailand, due to its aggressive prevention strategies, including the 100 percent condom use programme has employed traditional public health models of ring surveillance and disease containment in high-risk populations namely commercial sex workers and IUDs to curb infection rates. However, due to the overwhelming focus on HIV/AIDS and commercial sex industry the new wave of infection among youth has not be addressed fully and its impacts are now being felt in Thai society. Without an immediate response, the future health and productivity of Thai youth could be severely compromised.

This study examines through the process of key informant interviews, focus groups, participant observations and content/discourse media analysis the question of HIV/AIDS media health campaigns for youth in Thailand. The study sought to address issues of youth perception, risk factors, communication styles, and impacts on Thai society. Through this multiperspectival analysis including theoretical and methodological frameworks from three schools of thought Comparative Education, Public Health Communications and Cultural Studies, the study seeks to first chronicle and analyze the impact of HIV/AIDS in Thailand and the types of health campaigns that have been done previously in regards to efficacy. Then based on collected qualitative data, the study shifts toward finding possible recommendations of what type of HIV/AIDS media health campaign would be the most successful in preventing HIV/AIDS infection among Thai youth.