Dear FORUM,

I don't think communication campaigns are either piloted or screened for their
gender or sexuality- related messages. Even in the past, IEC campaigns have
maligned vulnerable groups leading to further stigmatization/ discrimination
against them and misinformation about HIV itself.

A recent HIV- related campaign in UP which used Bollywood movie titles as
slogans was pulled off after several positive people's
networks protested against them.

What this perhaps indiactes is the lack of understanding of the various
dimensions of HIV and the complexity involved in communicating a medical,
behavioral as well as socio- cultural message.

We perhaps are still operatng in the family planning IEC mode of trying to
hammer in some messages and therefore fail to connect to people's lived
realities.

While IEC campaigns by themselves cannot effect social or behavioral change,
they do help to open up discussions around an issue and therefore it becomes
imperative that they be caerfully designed to ensure not just popularity but
also accuracy and sensitivity
to different groups of people and keeping them value- free and non- judgemental.

Akhila Panchamukhi
e-MAIL: <akhila_punch@...>