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New Ideas in AIDS Prevention: Ringtones, Websites, and More

250,000 Americans don’t know they’re HIV positive, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Now I don’t know how you feel, but this is shocking to me. After years and years of prevention education, from films to campaigns, what are we doing wrong?


By Flickr user jonrawlinson I used to work as a HIV tester and educator, particularly with substance abusers, and one thing is clear: there’s still a lot of work to do. You see, the CDC statistic wasn’t talking about my former clients but rather, those who aren’t traditionally considered high-risk. The facts are telling. The number of African-American women becoming infected is rising. Sexually transmitted diseases are rampant among youth.

When it comes to awareness, it can’t be denied that “new” risk groups call for new methods and strategies.

Pos or Not is a great example of adapting to the times. A variation of HotorNot.com, a website where you rate people’s attractiveness, Pos or Not instead challenges you to identify those living with HIV. The game, aimed towards the hip, Wii-playing generation, was developed by college students for the mtvU network. The site features real people with real stories—from 20-year old Florentina to 52-year-old Maggie—challenging you to confront the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. Once you’re done, you can type in your zip code to find a testing site near you.

Over in India, another stigma is being challenged—condom use. Currently, there are 2.5 million people in India living with HIV, and reasons for low condom use range from lack of education to cost. With funding provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the BBC World Service Trust has created a new ringtone to help tackle the taboos associated with prophylactics. Instead of Bollywood melodies streaming from cell phones, the a capella refrain “condom, condom” can now be heard. It’s a catchy song, and the commercial is great, too.

If you want to get involved, there’s definitely no shortage of people, organizations, and groups around the globe dedicated to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS.

This entry is by Celeste, who most recently wrote about her love for the C train on the Idealist in NYC blog.