Last Sunday December 1 was World AIDS Day and I'd like you to think about your view on HIV/AIDS and safe sex for a little while- and that of your teenage children, should you have them. I realize that it's easy enough to be concerned about HIV+ women and their babies in Africa- and rightly so, as they need your support, although their situation is getting better slowly but surely- but closer to home most new HIV infections still occur among adult men and women.
Some of them gay, some of them drug addicts, some of them sex workers, some of them immigrants. Most of them just like you and me, just a bit less lucky or well-informed. Not as sweet and 'innocent' and far away as those African mothers, but important nevertheless. Did you know for instance that last year the amount of new HIV infections in Belgium has RISEN again with 8%, which is double the % of any other country in Europe? This is happening right under our noses, in a 'developed' country that really should know better than that. Same situation in the UK, US, Brazil...anywhere where new young generations are growing up who are not that well informed (and therefore bothered) as we were. Designers against AIDS wants to do something about this and we have been doing so since 12 years now. It's about a worldwide change in mentality so that young people all over the world know that safe sex is cool and normal and act accordingly. All of us (yes, you too!) have to take our responsibility and do our best to achieve this goal. We need and deserve your support for our work- it's about the future of our children and the health of all of us. Together we can do it!

Ninette Murk
Founder & creative director Designers against AIDS
Antwerp, December 1, 2013