A diminishing of self: women's experiences of unwanted sexual attention.

The health effects of everyday occurrences of unwanted sexual attention (such as looks, whistles, and comments) were explored in semistructured interviews with 8 women in Seattle, WA. Participants described the strategies they used for avoiding and dealing with unwanted sexual attention, as well as the effects the attention had on their health and sense of self. Grounded theory techniques were used to code the data and identify themes. The women in this study were affected both physically and emotionally by their experiences and their perceived ineffectiveness in dealing with them. On a phenomenological level, these experiences contributed to a "diminishing of self," which included feeling dehumanized and lacking agency. This project begins to describe the complexities of this seemingly simple everyday occurrence and relates the experience to social science and psychological theory.

The social marketing of project ARIES: overcoming challenges in recruiting gay and bisexual males for HIV prevention counseling.

This paper reports on the development, implementation, and evaluation of a social marketing campaign designed to recruit clients Project ARIES, and AIDS prevention study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Marketing channels employed for the campaign included advertising in the gay press, generating coverage in the mainstream press, distributing materials to HIV testing centers and other health and social service providers, and displaying posters in gay bars and baths. While these approaches all succeeded in eliciting inquiries from individuals engaging in high risk sexual behaviors, they differed in several respects, including their ability to reach specific subgroups that are often underserved by more traditional programs, such as men of color, younger men, and men who self-report as being closeted. Promotional materials displayed in gay bars and baths resulted in the highest percentage of callers who, after inquiring about the program, decided to participate in the counseling. Coverage in the mainstream press was the most successful in reaching closeted men, men who were less active in the gay community, and individuals who did not self-identify as gay. Display and classified ads in the gay press produced the highest number of initial inquiries. Finally, recruitment of participants via materials distributed to HIV test sites and other service providers was the most effective in reaching men who were HIV-positive.