Prevention Begins With Me

Breaking the stigma of HIV/AIDS
through education

Every week, approximately 7,000 young women become infected with HIV.

Of the 35M+ people with the HIV virus, more than 2M are young adults, who are disproportionately affected by HIV. Because initial symptoms are similar to the flu, and later stages are often asymptomatic, young adults don’t seek treatment and are susceptible to pass HIV on to others. These issues are further compounded by the high levels of stigma associated with the infection. Prevention education is essential—young adults must understand their risk of HIV and the steps necessary to avoid infection.

Prevention Begins With Me revolutionized the way young people across the world learn about HIV/AIDS.

Prevention Begins With Me interactive animated films have been developed in 13 languages and are used by hundreds of millions of young people in over 82 countries.

Research-Based

The curriculum is medically accurate and pedagogically grounded to optimize learning and retention

Interactive

Strategically embedded interactive elements increase viewer engagement and knowledge retention

Culturally-specific

The curriculum is available in 13 languages (26 versions), each featuring culturally-appropriate dialect and mannerisms

Animation

The use of research-driven 2D cartoon imagery provides the perfect balance of comfort and clarity for this highly stigmatized topic

Dr. Clifford Nass, Thomas More Storke Professor at Stanford University

Grounded in Science

Prevention Begins With Me was designed in partnership with subject matter experts and local community leaders. It underwent more than 500 iterations in its initial development process. Formally approved by the Institutional Review Board, the research was conducted through Stanford University and recognized as an innovation that would “change the world” by MIT Technology Review.

Hundreds of high school children in Andhra Pradesh, India watch the TeachAids interactive education modules to learn about HIV and AIDS.

Case Studies

Prevention Begins With Me materials have been tailored to address the diverse array of challenges our partners face in providing HIV/AIDS education to their communities

CASE STUDY: HIV VACUUM
CASE STUDY: HIV FATIGUE
CASE STUDY: TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIERS

To optimize learning and accesibility, the interactive animated films include

Euphemisms

2D Imagery and analogies are used to help illustrate highly stigmatized topics related to transmission

Cultural Artifacts

Content is hyper localized to resonate with target communities (clothing patterns, customs, decorative artifacts)

Celebrities

Iconic celebrities donated voices and their caricatures to enhance learner engagement and diminish stigma around the topic

Gender Specificity

Given the gender gap in education, separate female and male interactive films were created to incorporate research-driven nuances and maximize learning

Explore the Products

Prevention Begins With Me featuring celebrities including Thato “Scar” Matlhabaphiri, Shabana Azmi, and Dr. Tsetan Dorji Sadutshang (left to right)

“TeachAids has worked with an incredible team of world-class experts, governments around the world, and UNICEF to create a clear way to understand what you need to know about HIV and AIDS. Their tutorials are being used globally and are quickly becoming the standard in HIV and AIDS education.”

His Excellency Festus Mogae

Former President of Botswana

Who's Involved

Prevention Begins With Me was designed by our team of academics, researchers and expert advisors.

Dr. Douglas Owens

The Henry F. Kaiser Jr. Director of the Center for Health Policy, School of Medicine, Stanford University

Anne Firth Murray

Founding President, Global Fund for Women

Dr. Roy Pea

David Jacks Professor of Education and the Learning Sciences, Graduate School of Education, and Computer Science by courtesy, Stanford University; Former Founder and Director, H-STAR Institute, Stanford University

Amitabh Bachchan

Actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

Festus Mogae

Former President, Botswana

Prof. Tina Seelig

Executive Director, Knight-Hennessy Scholars, Stanford University

Dean Michele Barry

Senior Associate Dean of Global Health, Stanford University School of Medicine

Dr. David Katzenstein

Professor of Infectious Diseases Emeritus, Stanford University School of Medicine

Impact

0m+

Young Adults

Providing more than half-a-billion people access to our education

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Countries

Using our materials

Read the latest updates on Prevention Begins With Me.