NYC Department Of Health Releases H.I.V. PSA (GRAPHIC VIDEO)

The NYC Department of Health, which recently has made a name for itself by publicizing startlingly graphic public service announcements, has release a new ad about H.I.V.

The tag is "it's never just H.I.V." and the video, which resembles an NBC drama promo, goes on to explain how the virus can lead to other terrible diseases like osteoporosis or dementia.

But the video, which shows only men and flashes graphic illustrations of broken bones, and even documentation of anal cancer, is striking some as far too aggressive a campaign.

The New York Times reports that the ad is dividing health experts and gay activists alike. Those like Larry Kramer, the founder of the AIDS activist group Act Up, think the commercials are effective. "This ad is honest and true and scary, all of which it should be," he told the Times. "H.I.V. is scary, and all attempts to curtail it via lily-livered nicey-nicey 'prevention' tactics have failed."

Others think the message is exploitative and unnecessarily graphic.

"We know from our longstanding H.I.V. prevention work that portraying gay and bisexual men as dispensing diseases is counterproductive," said Marjorie Hill, chief executive ofGay Men's Health Crisis. "Studies have shown that scare tactics are not effective."

WATCH the ad, and tell us what you think:

Comments

[chillwind]

01:35 PM on 01/11/2011

Interesting that you seek to reinforce stigma to other groups such as pregnant teenage girls and women with cervical cancer to make your point. This not only fails to support anything you have to say, but rather detracts from it, as unnecessary mud-slinging.

The fact remains that this is a serious, deadly, and communicable illness, and that most young people who were either not born yet or were toddlers during the early years fail to understand this. Living with this is more than just popping a few pills. I take nothing away from those who have overcome their terror and continue to live meaningful and productive lives (many far more so after diagnosis), however, treatment often comes with side effects that are no picnic, and are not to be taken lightly.

[1donewrong]

11:09 PM on 01/09/2011

A condom isn't fail safe the message should be to change their life style

[Jazz88105]

05:35 PM on 01/09/2011

i think it says what it needs to

[mikeyaz17]

03:48 PM on 01/07/2011

i dont want anal cancer

[westcoastsc]

06:28 AM on 01/07/2011

No.

[jondom22]

08:59 PM on 01/06/2011

Doesn't that sound like Ted Williams voice-over? First Gig? hah

[SpuriusLartius]

02:11 PM on 01/06/2011

Wow! That anal cancer clip was scary!

[ikaufman]

09:46 AM on 01/06/2011

As a gay man, I do not believe the ad is too graphic b/c now that the meds against HIV are so good and that HIV is no longer a "death sentence," people need to be reminded there are other dire consequences of infection

[westcoastsc]

06:28 AM on 01/07/2011

fanned

[1donewrong]

11:10 PM on 01/09/2011

if you have HIV and have sex you should be proscuted

[TFDNYC]

12:10 PM on 01/12/2011

A sincere question: Would you ever have sex with someone whom you knew to be positive, even with a condom?

[emmeaki]

07:39 PM on 01/05/2011

Making the anal cancer part so much more graphic than the other ailments implies that only gay men are at risk. Of course heterosexuals, male and female, are at risk as well.

[1donewrong]

11:11 PM on 01/09/2011

HUH??

[ny rebel]

05:11 PM on 01/05/2011

If we put the graphic truth in our sex education classes about all STDs, maybe all people (male and female), especially the teenagers, might actually get it! IT NEEDS TO BE GRAPHIC. Have you ever seen some of the military films about STDs? Saw one when I was 15 and it freaked me right out. ALWAYS USE A CONDOM!

[emmeaki]

07:36 PM on 01/05/2011

Those graphic films scared the shiznit out of me when I was a teenager!

[BlackYowe]

10:41 PM on 01/05/2011

Actually statistics show baby boomers are spreading STDs far above the youth. Older straight people are spreading Chlamydia and Herpes like crazy. The fact however remains that 40% of gay men in NYC have HIV and many do not even know it and are spreading it. Sadly its most common in Black men. These studies came out over 8 months ago I believe. I am not sure the graphic adds will do anything but spread homophobia though. The people who do not practice safe sex often do so because they do not like condoms.

[1donewrong]

11:12 PM on 01/09/2011

if they test positive and have sex then they should be imprisoned for life

[TFDNYC]

12:12 PM on 01/12/2011

40%?! Link please... that seems insanely high...

[tcny]

01:13 PM on 01/05/2011

While I think the ad is not overly graphic, considering the devastation that this disease can bring, it's unfortunate that the anal cancer aspect is so prominently featured, as it will only fuel jokes and derision from homophobes, while appearing to suggest that the worst of the problem is centered on (and the fault of) the male homosexual community.

[Tristan Mayfield]

10:33 PM on 01/04/2011

It's too graphic and completely isolates anyone who is actually living with HIV. I know people who have lived with HIV for over 25 years and are even healthier then their negative counterparts... It's also misleading...Targeting only gay men when over half of the people getting infected are heterosexuals as well? Really? Is it 1982 all over again?

[Jdaddy1951]

05:51 PM on 01/04/2011

I didn't see this as particularly graphic. What I did see was the indication that it only happens to young, pretty men. Is there no outreach to women who can catch this disease?

[LonosCurse]

01:46 PM on 01/04/2011

We've been at this now for close to thirty years. The NYC Health Department can hire Wes Craven and it wouldn't help. These people are clueless.

[Bill J4321]

01:07 PM on 01/04/2011

Worldwide, nearly 80% of HIV/AIDS cases are heterosexual.

It is our collective ability to keep our collective heads in the collective sand that push this pandemic full-speed ahead.