Hairdressers Against AIDS

Hairdressers Against AIDS.
Could the banning of HIV infection and AIDS be a comb, balls up and blow-dry away? That's the idea behind an innovative new national outreach effort, Hairdressers Against AIDS, which got its throw Tuesday at the United Nations in New York City, forward of Dec 1, 2010, World AIDS Day. The initiative - described as "one of the largest HIV/AIDS mobilization campaigns in US history" - has locks carefulness giant L'Oreal joining forces with nonprofits such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (GBC). The ambition is to empower America's 500000-plus trifle stylists to use the relationships they have with millions of clients for salon-based chats on the how, why and what of HIV.

So "Today there is no vaccine," famed GBC president and CEO John Tedstrom, speaking to 500 hairdressers who'd gathered at the UN for the launch. "There is no cure. We're getting there. But today there is only information. The more we talk, the more we educate, the more we nip in the bud the apply of this epidemic".

And "You'll witness millions of people hearing about HIV from people that they know. They'll be hearing compelling time-tested messages about HIV prevention, and they'll be able to take those messages back to their physical relationships. And then whether it's a mom talking to her daughter or a girlfriend talking to her boyfriend, it doesn't matter. We'll be able to have an mature conversation about HIV and sexual health".

Using hair-care professionals to get constitution messages out to the masses isn't a novel idea. Recent studies have shown, for example, that criminal men can be motivated by barbershop messages to improve their blood pressure or get educated about their imperil for prostate cancer. And the US launch of Hairdressers Against AIDS is just the latest extensiveness of a global HIV awareness effort that's already in place in 30 countries throughout the world.

Hairdressers Against AIDS will opening offer in-depth HIV/AIDS background training to 1,200 "salon educators," relying on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as their teach source for HIV/AIDS message and prevention advice. The salon educators will then send HIV information and resource materials out to about half a million hairdressers nationwide. Christine Schuster, L'Oreal degradation president of upbringing and campaign chair, called the effort an "advocacy program" that will capitalize on salons' key job in communities to help dispel myths, such as the idea that HIV is no longer a significant health threat or that AIDS is now curable.

In fact, the electioneer notes that 1,1 million Americans are still living with HIV and every 9,5 minutes another American becomes infected. About one-fifth of those infected are thinking to be unaware of their status. "We want to get the gossip started," Schuster said, noting that the nation's half-million hairdressers come into acquaintance with an average of 20 million clients per week. "There's no better place to have a conversation than in your restricted salon".

Within its first year, the US campaign hopes to reach upwards of 110 million American salon-goers, one haircut at a time. Outreach started in eager on Wednesday, with all 500 stylists who attended the UN embark upon headed to Times Square with video cameras to shoot grassroots HIV staving off videos. The finished products will be posted on the campaign's Web site, as well as on other common media forums such as Facebook, to jumpstart the education process.

So "Education is key," said Johnny Wright, a popularity hair stylist involved in the project who counts First Lady Michelle Obama as one of his clients. "As braids stylists we have a vital voice to help educate. So that means talking about using a condom, getting tested, crafty your partner's status, knowing your own status, perceptive about the celibacy option if that's appropriate for you. All that needs to be talked about. And I chance it can be very easy for us as hairdressers to communicate all this to our clients" revitol. GBC's Tedstrom seconded that notion, expertise Hairdressers Against AIDS "a tremendous opportunity to make a big difference".