When should we stop pointing out the obvious?

I was in a gay bar in Soho a couple of weeks ago. On my way to the loo I happened across a display of leaflets, and one in particular left me stunned. You can get HIV through your cock in bold type over a close up picture of said cock. So what was it about this leaflet that shocked me? The graphic imagery of the naked cock? Hardly. It was the fact that 25 years after the government launched their Don t Die of Ignorance campaign, gay men are still having to be told the obvious, that if you have sex of any description without using a condom, you put yourself at risk of HIV or AIDS.

At first I was incensed at the ignorance and arrogance of a group of people who continually defy advice while others tirelessly try to educate and inform them. Then I realised that this was nothing to do with this group at all. It happens everywhere.

How many of us smoke despite knowing that it will kill us, seemingly oblivious to the financial burden placed on the tax payer to care for us when we do succumb to one of a range of diseases. And whether it’s driving too fast or taking too many drugs, we repeatedly ignore advice that, if we’re honest, we’ve been aware of since junior school. 

So, with so much pressure on the nation's bank account maybe it’s time to stop incessantly ploughing money into some of these awareness projects and accept that they are only really ever heeded by a small percentage of those targeted.

Of course, there will always be success stories. Drink driving campaigns bring down the number of offenders year on year and if one life is saved then surely it’s worth it, but if we are having to continually state such obvious messages as ‘smoking kills’ or ‘you can get HIV through your cock’ then it’s time to assess how effective those messages really are.