Welcome to Models against AIDS! 

They're more than pretty faces, they're models against aids!

Some of you might think that AIDS  has nothing to do with Western youngsters since it only seems to appear in distant  and third world countries or among people with more dangerous lifestyles than theirs, but you might be wrong- and this misconception could be extremely tricky and misleading. Did you know that:
* In The United States, more than 1.2 million people are living with the HIV virus and 8 in 10 new infections in women are related to unsafe sexual practices.

• 40% of new HIV+ cases in Eastern Europe are among women; for instance, Ukraine has more than doubled its rates in just five years, so that now around half million people there live with HIV/AIDS.

* Heterosexually acquired HIV infections form the largest proportion (5 out of 10 cases) of new infections in Western Europe, with the United Kingdom showing the largest rate: HIV infections doubled in the last five years to almost 10,000 newly infected people a year today.

• HIV infections among men who have sex with men doubled in Germany between 2002-2006 and increased by two thirds in Belgium during the same period.

• In the last couple of years new HIV cases attributed to injecting drugs (dirty needles) have declined almost worldwide -making unprotected sex now the most important way to get infected. Safe sex is more essential than ever!

Source: UNAIDS

With Models Against Aids we want to continue our prevention efforts towards young people, by informing girls and boys who dream of becoming a model about HIV/AIDS and safe sex. But that's not all, Models Against Aids will not only inform, but also raise funds for future AIDS awareness programs through the models  and agencies that are willing to donate 1% to DAA for every booking they make. Furthermore, the models will take part in future campaigns, give lectures at schools, speak out during interviews and at events and motivate their colleagues to also join MAA.

The brand new Spokesperson for Models Against Aids: Hannelore Knuts!

We are very happy to announce Belgian topmodel Hannelore Knuts as the new spokesperson for Models against AIDS- she does countless runway shows for all the big name fashion designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Lanvin, Moschino, Dries Van Noten, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Hermès, Balenciaga, Zac Posen, Fendi, Versace, Christian Lacroix and Alessandro DellAcqua, is being pictured by photographers such as Steven Meisel, Daniel Jackson and Inez van Lamsweerde/Vinoodh Matadin (who shot this photo for W Magazine), consults for designers such as Azzedine Alaia, Haider Ackermann and Belgian leather goods company Delvaux, is a talented photographer herself and now is curating her first exhibition, that wil open in spring 2010.

Hannelore is very motivated to help Models against AIDS and Designers against AIDS to spread their prevention message and to stimulate young models to join MAA, with the same goal: have fun, but keep it safe!

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