Making space for safer sex

M. Mutchler

Study uses ethnographic data to illustrate a community empowerment HIV prevention project found to significantly reduce rates of unprotected anal sex among young gay males between 18 and 29 year old. Author shows how safer sex norms among this group are produced and reveals that a sense of 'ownership' in a youth space is a critical component in this HIV prevention model. He argues that this research should facilitate AIDS educators in their efforts to end the second wave of HIV-infections by providing a detailed map of how a successful prevention project operates and by paying attention to the need of more space for safer sex education.