{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,30]],"date-time":"2025-10-30T20:03:53Z","timestamp":1761854633502,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"American Public Health Association","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Am J Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Beginning with the emergence of the HIV\/AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s, community-led lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health organizations created prevention materials that affirmed and celebrated gay identity, positing safer sex as a radical method of keeping their communities healthy and liberated past the onset of the virus. Often prioritizing pleasure and featuring erotic imagery, these strengths-based prevention messages implied that community members shared a collective responsibility to care for each other and stop the spread of HIV.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>Using archival public health materials from the early HIV\/AIDS crisis and data collected through oral history interviews with former members of AIDS service organizations, this article explores the roles that gay liberation, community connectedness, and eroticism played in the first decade of HIV prevention messaging. As a case study, this article highlights the works created by GMHC (formally Gay Men\u2019s Health Crisis), New York City\u2019s premier AIDS service organization and a global leader in these campaigns.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>Lastly, we note similarities between historic examples of sex-positive prevention messaging and those used by community health organizations and practitioners in the 21st century. ( Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print October 30, 2025:e1\u2013e8. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2105\/AJPH.2025.308214 )<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2105\/ajph.2025.308214","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,30]],"date-time":"2025-10-30T19:59:54Z","timestamp":1761854394000},"page":"e1-e8","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Sex-Positive HIV Prevention Messages: A Case Study From the Early Years of the Epidemic"],"prefix":"10.2105","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-4470-6634","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Casey W.","family":"Adrian","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Casey W. Adrian is with the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Sean G. Massey is with the Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY. Julia B. Haager is with the Department of History, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC. Eden Lowinger was with the Department of Social Work, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, at the time of this study."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5984-7116","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sean G.","family":"Massey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Casey W. Adrian is with the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Sean G. Massey is with the Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY. Julia B. Haager is with the Department of History, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC. Eden Lowinger was with the Department of Social Work, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, at the time of this study."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0655-566X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Julia B.","family":"Haager","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Casey W. Adrian is with the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Sean G. Massey is with the Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY. Julia B. Haager is with the Department of History, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC. Eden Lowinger was with the Department of Social Work, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, at the time of this study."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-7949-3026","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eden","family":"Lowinger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Casey W. Adrian is with the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Sean G. Massey is with the Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY. Julia B. Haager is with the Department of History, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC. Eden Lowinger was with the Department of Social Work, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, at the time of this study."}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"844","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,30]]},"reference":[{"issue":"22","key":"p_1","first-page":"52","volume":"15","author":"VerMeulen M","year":"1982","journal-title":"New York Magazine."},{"key":"p_2","unstructured":"Rosenthal A. Paul Popham, 45, a founder of AIDS organization, dies. New York Times. May 8, 1987:D17."},{"key":"p_3","unstructured":"Klotz D, interviewed by Massey SG, Haager JB, Goldstein C, Lowinger E. GMHC Stories: An Oral History Project. 2022. Forthcoming at: New York Public Library, New York, NY."},{"key":"p_4","unstructured":"Britton P, interviewed by Massey SG, Haager JB, Adrian CW, Goldstein C, Pergel D. GMHC Stories: An Oral History Project. 2022. Forthcoming at: New York Public Library, New York, NY."},{"key":"p_5","unstructured":"Gay Men's Health Crisis records. Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. Available at: https:\/\/archives.nypl.org\/mss\/ 1126#overview. Accessed January 15, 2025."},{"key":"p_6","unstructured":"D'Emilio J. Dreams deferred: The birth and betrayal of America's first Gay Liberation Movement. In: Making Trouble: Essays on Gay History, Politics, and the University. New York, NY: Routledge; 1992:17-56."},{"key":"p_7","unstructured":"D'Emilio J. Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States, 1940-1970. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press; 1998."},{"key":"p_8","unstructured":"Pinckney T, interviewed by Massey SG, Haager JB, Adrian CW, Goldstein C, Pergel D. GMHC Stories: An Oral History Project. 2022. Forthcoming at: New York Public Library, New York, NY."},{"key":"p_9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.aje.a115445"},{"key":"p_10","unstructured":"Holmes J, interviewed by Massey SG, Haager JB, Adrian CW, Goldstein C, Morea S, Pergel D. 2022. GMHC Stories: An Oral History Project. Forthcoming at: New York Public Library, New York, NY."},{"issue":"1","key":"p_11","first-page":"83","volume":"25","author":"Lewis AJ","year":"2016","journal-title":"J Hist Sex."},{"key":"p_12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/bs5040565"},{"key":"p_13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2017.303704"},{"key":"p_14","unstructured":"Altman L. Rare cancer seen in 41 homosexuals. New York Times. July 3, 1981:A20."},{"key":"p_15","unstructured":"Mass L. Disease rumors largely unfounded. New York Native. May 18, 1981:A7."},{"key":"p_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Nattrass N. The AIDS Conspiracy: Science Fights Back. New York, NY: Columbia University Press; 2013.","DOI":"10.7312\/columbia\/9780231149136.001.0001"},{"key":"p_17","unstructured":"Kramer L. The Normal Heart. London, UK: Nick Hern Books; 1985."},{"key":"p_18","unstructured":"Levine M. Fearing fear itself. In: GMHC Newsletter 1. 1982. Gay Men's Health Crisis records. Located at: New York Public Library, New York, NY."},{"key":"p_19","unstructured":"Berkowitz R, Callen M, Sonnabend J. How to Have Sex in an Epidemic: One Approach. Dworkin R, ed. New York, NY: News From the Front Publications; 1983."},{"key":"p_20","unstructured":"Lloyd-Jones J. Who was reading \"How to have sex in an epidemic\"? Library, Archive & Open Research Services Blog. December 12, 2014. Available at: https:\/\/blogs.lshtm.ac.uk\/library\/2014\/12\/12\/ reading-sex-epidemic. Accessed January 15, 2025."},{"key":"p_21","unstructured":"Gay Men's Health Crisis. Crisis management partner team #1 meeting minutes. October 9, 1985. 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Forthcoming at: New York Public Library, New York, NY."},{"key":"p_26","unstructured":"Kerrison R. Sleazy AIDS ads take the gay train. New York Post. January 19, 1994; Section 1:2, 16."},{"key":"p_27","unstructured":"Lugliani G. Memorandum to all GMHC staff. January 31, 1994. Sean Massey's Gay Men's Health Crisis Collection. Forthcoming at: New York Public Library, New York, NY."},{"key":"p_28","unstructured":"GMHC Publications. GMHC Safer Sex Comix #6. 1986. Sean Massey's Gay Men's Health Crisis Collection. Forthcoming at: New York Public Library, New York, NY."},{"key":"p_29","first-page":"27747","author":"Congressional Record","year":"1987","journal-title":"Senate."},{"key":"p_30","unstructured":"DeShaw K, interviewed by Massey SG, Haager JB, Adrian CW, Pergel D. 2022. GMHC Stories: An Oral History Project. Forthcoming at: New York Public Library, New York, NY."},{"key":"p_31","unstructured":"AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, Better World Advertising. Is He Just a Piece of Meat? Do You Care about Him at All? Making Contact. Available at: http:\/\/resource.nlm.nih.gov\/101717 734?_gl=1\n                      \u00c3\n                      1mgq41l\n                      \u00c3\n                      _ga\n                      \u00c3\n                      MTI2MTI5ODc0OC4xNz E3NzgxNTc0\n                      \u00c3\n                      _ga_7147EPK006\n                      \u00c3\n                      czE3NDcyNDQ4N DMkbzIkZzEkdDE3NDcyNDU3NTEkajAkbDAkaDA. Accessed January 15, 2025."},{"key":"p_32","unstructured":"GMHC Publications. Staying Negative - It's Not Automatic. 1995. Sean Massey's Gay Men's Health Crisis Collection. Forthcoming at: New York Public Library, New York, NY."},{"key":"p_33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/10370"},{"key":"p_34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10461-017-1674-0"},{"key":"p_35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/QAI.0000000000002297"},{"key":"p_36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13691058.2020.1715482"},{"key":"p_37","unstructured":"Altarum Institute. Mpox vaccine promotion materials toolkit. 2024. Available at: https:\/\/www. nationalcoalitionforsexualhealth.org\/tools\/forhealthcare-providers\/mpox-toolkit. Accessed January 15, 2025."}],"container-title":["American Journal of Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/ajph.aphapublications.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.2105\/AJPH.2025.308214","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,30]],"date-time":"2025-10-30T20:00:00Z","timestamp":1761854400000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ajph.aphapublications.org\/doi\/full\/10.2105\/AJPH.2025.308214"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,30]]},"references-count":37,"alternative-id":["10.2105\/AJPH.2025.308214"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2105\/ajph.2025.308214","relation":{},"ISSN":["0090-0036","1541-0048"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0090-0036","type":"print"},{"value":"1541-0048","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,30]]}}}