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The Population Services International (PSI), a leading NGO of the country, is launching a vigorous advertising campaign on HIV/AIDS prevention across Tamil Nadu from September 6.

A similar campaign would be undertaken in Andhra Pradesh during the same period. 

PSI Programme Director, Sanjay R Chaganti, said in Chennai on September 2 that the campaign, launched under the aegis of the Tamil Nadu Aids Control Society (TNSACS), would be visible in Chennai, Thoothukudi, Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchirapalli and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.

The Self-Risk Perception campaign would focus on bringing about a behavioural change in sexual habits in an effort to minimise the spread of the epidemic in Tamil Nadu, Chaganti said. The campaign would go on until November. 

TNSACS Project Director K Deenabandhu said, "We are extremely happy to note the launch of the campaign by PSI in Tamil Nadu. An innovative campaign like this can generate a lot of healthy discussion on HIV/AIDS among the general public and thereby increase the awareness levels about the epidemic and remove false notions. We support this campaign and will extend all help and co-operation to PSI in jointly managing this campaign."

The project in the state would be called Operation Lighthouse which would rely on a set of communication activities designed to raise personal risk perceptions and change social norms to encourage safer sexual practices.

The campaign would aim at dispelling misconceptions and myths about HIV transmission and risk assessment among the vulnerable sections of the population. It would focus on men in the 18-34 age group.

"One of the difficulties in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh is that there are no specific red-light areas unlike Mumbai. Therefore, the campaign here has to be diversified", Chaganti said adding that the thrust of the campaign would be on slogans like 'Be faithful'.

A fictitious character called 'Pulli Raja' has been created to create curiosity about the campaign which in turn will help in reaching out to the target group, Chaganti said.

PSI also runs counselling and testing centres under the name 'Saadhan' to provide quick HIV tests and also provide counselling services in a discreet manner, Chaganti added. More than 5,500 persons had visited the Saadhan centres in the country so far.