AFEW: For journalists >> "Life is wonderful, when protected!" - Presentation and launching of Mass Media Safer Sex Campaign in Tver

"Life is wonderful, when protected!" - Presentation and launching of Mass Media Safer Sex Campaign in Tver

The mass media campaign on safer sexual behaviour – ‘LIFE IS WONDERFUL, WHEN PROTECTED!’ – developed by the Russian non-governmental organisation (NGO) FOCUS-MEDIA Public Health and Social Development Foundation, and the international humanitarian public health organisation AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), is launched in Tver on Thursday 1 July 2004, in co-operation with the local NGO Tvoi Vybor. The campaign addresses Russian youth aged between 15 and 29, and encourages them to use condoms and to practise safer sexual behaviour – as a natural, simple and reliable way of protection from HIV infection, other sexually transmitted infection (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy.

The campaign materials were developed by FOCUS-MEDIA Public Health and Social Development Foundation and AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), with the support of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (RF).

The RF has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the world. In the Tver Region, the problem of HIV/AIDS is extremely urgent. According to the data of the Regional AIDS Center, in 2004 there were 3766 officially reported HIV cases, and 74 people died from AIDS. As in the RF as a whole, in the early stages of the epidemic in the Tver Region, HIV was spreading among groups that were traditionally associated with risky behaviour (injecting drug users, sex workers and men who have sex with men). Currently, the epidemic is quickly spreading through the general population by means of heterosexual activity, therefore Russian youth is most at risk and measures need to be taken immediately to protect them.

Thanks to previous safer sex campaigns (Mass media campaigns: ‘This Little Thing Will Protect Both Of Us!’ - 2001, and ‘It’s so Important to Be Protected!’ - 2002) developed by FOCUS-MEDIA in close co-operation with AFEW, and implemented in the Tver Region by Tvoi Vybor, the number of young people using condoms on a regular basis has increased: between 1998 and 2002 it more than doubled – from 20% to 43%. Nevertheless, work on promoting safer sexual behaviour needs to be continued, as, despite the positive results of the campaigns, misconceptions about the HIV infection still exist, and the use of condoms has yet to become routine among Russian youth (Campaign impact knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviour survey - 2002, Tvoi Vybor NGO, FOCUS-MEDIA Foundation, and AIDS Foundation East-West - AFEW). A study among youth in Tver was conducted by campaign planners and demonstrated that a significant proportion still thought condoms were only necessary when their partner had a STI, and that they were able to judge which people were ‘safe’.

Young people are very receptive to information from peers as it is much easier for them to identify with their peers , realise that the message is targeted at them and feel empowered to follow the behavioural model suggested by the campaign message. The participation of celebrities in social campaigns has been proven worldwide to be very powerful in attracting the general public’s attention to the problem and at the same time bringing the issues of HIV/AIDS to the highest social and political levels. Based on the previous success of public service announcements (PSA) with Elton John and David Beckham in the RF, the FOCUS-MEDIA and AFEW campaign planners approached Russian celebrities with the request to participate in the campaign and use the importance of their status in fighting the disease. Chai Vdvoyem is the first Russian pop group to follow other world famous stars in fighting HIV/AIDS in their own country – the RF. Campaign planners believe that a combination of both approaches employed in the design of this campaign will maximise the campaign impact.

The campaign ‘Life is Wonderful, When Protected!’, is financed by EC TACIS and the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and will run for eight months in several regions of Russia at the same time.

In the Tver Region, the rotation of five video clips will appear on federal and local TV channels, beginning on 1 July 2004. Besides the video clips, the campaign consists of outdoor advertisements (on public transport, and billboards in the street), information leaflets (39 000), posters (1 000), articles in glossy magazines, and various youth events.

The Tver NGO TVOI VYBOR invites you to the safer sex mass media campaign presentation that will take place in the Conference Hall of Osnabruke Hotel at 20 Saltykov-Schedrin St., on 1 July at 10:00.