Selling HIV/AIDS prevention: a case of mixed messages

Abstract

This paper reports on a content analysis of three youth magazines, undertaken in order to establish whether the messages of loveLife are diluted, contradicted or reinforced by such examples of popular youth culture. SL, Blunt and Ymag were sampled over a period of six months (July-December 2003) in an attempt to identify and analyse the content and perceptions that these magazines convey to their readers. The relationship between the message content of the three magazines and the core values of loveLife’s educational campaigns is then explored.