HIV Vacuum — HIV Education Despite Ban on Sex Education
Teaching about taboo topics despite the cultural barriers in India
India has the third largest HIV-positive population in the world, yet sex education has been banned across multiple states. Since AIDS education is typically taught as part of sex education, it is often watered down or not given. Similar issues are apparent throughout the developing world, where 95 percent of all HIV-positive individuals live. Hence, despite the millions of dollars spent on prevention efforts, a significant lack of knowledge, stigma, and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS persist.
The TeachAids software is designed for this situation. It successfully decouples AIDS education from sex education through a biology-based approach. Using a research-driven process, TeachAids has found a solution that, for the first time, allows individuals to access life-saving information, even in areas where AIDS education is taboo or disallowed.
Despite the ban and stigma, the TeachAids software was approved by the central government and implemented by each state government. To date, the project’s major milestones include:
- 100,000 copies of the TeachAids software were distributed across the nation for free
- The TeachAids materials have been broadcasted on 30+ public and private television channels including Doordarshan, MAA TV, and NDTV.
- Industry giants, including Apollo Hospitals and Mahindra & Mahindra, have educated patients, employees and students across the country
- Villagers were educated through an ambitious kiosk program as well as through a train-the-trainer model in Telangana (in one of the largest village health worker initiatives in the world)
TeachAids used the same research-based process to develop several more Indian language versions, impacting a total of 800 million people in the country. Twenty-two cultural icons donated their voices toward the special language versions, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Nagarjuna Akkineni, and Anushka Shetty, among others.
“When I first learned about this research-driven approach, it was clear that using animated characters was an innovative way to communicate simple biological concepts around virus transfer to people of all ages. I am proud to be part of the TeachAids movement and am confident that many people around the world will benefit from their tireless efforts.”
Shabana Azmi, UN Goodwill Ambassador and Former Indian Parliamentarian
“It was only three years ago that HIV-positive children were expelled from schools here due to extreme stigma and the lack of HIV/AIDS knowledge. Thanks to TeachAids we finally have a powerful, and yet acceptable, way to teach about the basics of HIV transmission. The animations are so comfortable that they’ve even been shown on multiple television channels.”
Mondira Jaisimha, Senior Advocacy Director, Heroes AIDS Project