Share your condom, on World Aids Day?
Today it's the World AIDS Day. For that reason Durex started a Twitter campaign last week: "For each RT, Durex will donate a condom in our fight against HIV & AIDS. Help work towards an HIV-free generation #1SHARE1CONDOM"
Probably they run to be nominated for the "11 Biggest Social Media Disasters 2012", because the idea to share a condom seems quite disgusting to me. But I must admit that I did re-tweet the message because more condoms are needed to push back the still enormous number of HIV infections per day: 7,000 people, globally and most of them being younger than 25 years old.
Based on the stats you might think that youth are the problem. They party and mess around without any protection? In some countries this is part of the problem, yes. But it's far more effective to see young people as part of the solution. In most countries and cultures of the world it's still a taboo to provide young people the right sexual education. Still most parents, teachers, imams, priest, bishops and others who should pass on the right education to young people only talk about abstinence or being faithful with one partner, for the rest of your life. Wake up!
This old fashioned madness isn't only bringing HIV infections or teenage pregnancies, but also deaths. And not only in 'poor ignorant Africa', but also in countries as the United Kingdom where teenage pregnancy rates are among the highest of the world, due to the taboos on sexuality being among the heaviest of the whole world too.
Ten years ago I started as international director of a new global movement called dance4life with the mission to break silence and taboos on HIV, aids and sexuality and push back the number of 14,000 infections per day. And dance4life is now active in 30 countries involving hundreds of thousands 'Agents of change'! Today many of them are dancing together simultaneously in countries as India, Nepal, Barbados, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, the Netherlands, Vietnam, USA, Germany, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Top DJ's as Don Diablo and top models as Doutzen Kroes will perform today and reach out to the world with a clear message. For the youth they promote safe sex and involvement in the global struggle again HIV and Aids. For the older generation the message is to give the youth all they need to protect themselves: good and honest education, care, respect and also condoms; because this will simply safe lives. Don't let them dance alone! (and please stop sharing condoms, OK?)