Link to Abstract

This is a preprint of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in the Social Marketing Quarterly, Volume 16, Number 1, 2010 copyright Taylor & Francis; the Social Marketing Quarterly is available online at: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a919454702

Real Life. Real Talk.^® is a bold, nationwide, social change effort. Its aim is to positively change the social climate in communities by creating more open, honest, and balanced talk about sex and health. A more positive social climate will, over time, help to ensure that people — particularly young people — have adequate information and services to enable them to make healthy sexual choices. As examples from social movements show, getting people to talk openly and publicly about an issue — particularly a sensitive or stigmatized issue — is a critical step in making social change happen. Once people believe they are allowed to talk honestly about sex, and once they question the consequences of silence, we believe a cascade of positive behavior change in sexual health will follow.