Silence surrounding safe sex must be shattered

Representational Image

The North Eastern state of Mizoram, with high HIV positivity, pushed for awareness ahead of International Condom Day (ICD) in an eye-catching way. The ICD is today, February 13.

Our report, along with a picture of the same, stated that a 30-foot-high and six-foot-wide vertical billboard featuring a condom with the catchphrase ‘Just Use It' was installed on the wall of a prominent mall in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram.

The message was the initiative of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation - India Cares, partnering with Mizoram State Aids Control Society ( MSACS). This is the first explicit vertical billboard in Aizawl displaying a colourful condom, where 95 per cent of the population belongs to various Christian church denominations and are often uncomfortable with explicit prevention campaigns.

It was also heartening to witness the collaboration extended by MSACS and the health minister of Mizoram.

Given the high HIV rate in the state, one has to see an uptick in awareness, and campaigns like this surely drive the message home. With government backing and the church-based youth organisations, there is more support for activists working in the health space to prevent infections. It also empowers and emboldens the youth, especially to talk about the disease and, consequently, the importance of practising safe sex and prevention. If one does not even talk or acknowledge the subject, then how can one tackle it? So, we must break that silence and have candid conversations. Aizawl is on the correct course and should stay that way.