Health Communication on the front page...

The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN.org) has decided to go where the people are. Their outreach efforts have included a national telephone hotline for sexual assault survivors for the past 14 years equipped with amazing personnel to offer counseling.  But, they are now taking it a step further.  They have started an instant-messaging based hotline for those survivors who otherwise wouldn't call, or for those who feel more comfortable behind the privacy of their computer screen.  As an advocate for survivors, we understand the need for confidentiality, and having an online haven for survivors allows that.  This resource will allow so many more victims to feel comfortable about talking to someone and help them start on their road to healing.

One Less...

Promotional campaigns for Gardasil, the HPV vaccine for young women developed by Merck, has done an amazing job at targeting their perfect audience... PARENTS.  By producing commercials and ad campaigns that portray parents of young women doing the responsible thing and having their daughters vaccinated sets into place a social norm that wasn't necessarily there before. Because HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, it is often a taboo or difficult issue for parents to discuss with their children.  This difficulty has become a huge barrier to vaccination.  By researching what it is that makes some people hesitant to vaccinate their daughters, it seems Merck has landed on an important discovery.  Initial commercials only portrayed the young women discussing how important it was to become "ONE LESS." Recently, the commercials have shifted their focus to the parents and their role in their children's health, even urging them to talk to their daughter's doctor.  Making it the parent's responsibility and not having to rely on the young women to have to ask their parents for an STD vaccination makes it seem more likely that more women will be vaccinated in the future, making these young women... ONE LESS!

For more information check out Gardasil's website: www.gardasil.com