Health Communication Quotes

The routine promotion of condoms through advertising has been stopped by networks who are so hypocritically priggish that they refuse to describe disease control as they promote disease transmission.

[H]as the CDC ever published a story about the dangers of catching diseases when you sleep with illegal aliens?

As surgeon general I always seemed to be issuing a "Surgeon General's Warning" about one thing after another that threatened the health of the American people: cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, AIDS, Reye's syndrome, violence, and a host of others. In each case I had to be certain that the science behind the health warning was impeccable and able to withstand the critics who sought to dismiss the warnings. But I also needed to ensure that the science made sense on a personal level. I had to listen to the American people as well as to talk (sternly) to them.

A lot of people have misconceptions about what the surgeon general does.

For years, many public health campaigns that aimed at changing habits have been failures.

The overarching issue, really, is our surgeon general should be able to communicate transparently and honestly with the American public on all issues.

Let us give publicity to HIV/AIDS and not hide it, because [that is] the only way to make it appear like a normal illness

How most consumers collect and interpret health information has changed.

Public health authorities exaggerate health risks for the same reason that sharks eat seals—because that’s just what they do.

Doubt is a cardinal virtue in the sciences, which advance through skeptics’ willingness to question the experts. But it can be disastrous in public health, where lives depend on people’s willingness to trust those same experts.

It is so important to talk about your cancer and the feelings you have about it.

Irregular contact with doctors means many men fail to receive any preventive care for potentially life-threatening conditions. In addition, when men do seek care, embarrassment can often prevent them from openly discussing health concerns with their physicians.

The surgeon general is responsible for sharing scientifically-based information with the public so that they can improve their health. But I will say personally that my goal as surgeon general is to help build a culture of prevention in America so that we are a nation that is as good at preventing illness as we are at treating it.

We need more physicians on air. We understand the human being, experience and condition, and we need to be using media to deliver that. We cannot be afraid to entertain. Experiential phenomenon that entertains, educates. It changes peoples' ideas and culture. I believe that strongly.

Health makes good propaganda.

We visual communicators have so much good to share: rather than sharing our chemical and style addictions, we could be using our professional skills to help communicate health information, conflict resolution, democracy, technology.