Valentine’s Day is approaching. This is the perfect moment to talk not only about love, but also about the dangers it brings. Such as HIV. That is why Ponton Sex Educators Group is organizing a happening reminding about the virus in Warsaw, just before this year’s Valentine’s Day.
– On February 12, 2017, a group of young people with headphones on their ears will walk through the streets of Warsaw, dancing to music that only they will hear, handing out leaflets and encouraging young people to take an HIV test. The action will start at 15:00 p.m. in the Pan at the Centrum Metro. Then the participants will go to ul. Chmielna. The aim is to remind Warsaw youth and guests of the city before Valentine’s Day that the HIV epidemic has not been overcome. Contrary. According to the NIPH-PZH data, in 2016, by October alone, over 1100 new infections were detected. As many as 250 of them, which is more than one in five, in Mazovia! Warsaw may still be a dangerous city in this respect. Meanwhile, HIV testing is still done by only a few. It is estimated that only one in ten Poles decided to do so. The Ponton campaign, carried out as part of the “Positively Open” competition, is to increase this percentage and contribute to stopping the HIV epidemic in Poland.
The party will be part silent disco and part flash mob. Everyone will be able to join the volunteers dancing along Chmielna Street, but those who play the music from Ponton’s playlist on Soundcloud will have the greatest fun. All because the sounds will not be heard. Each participant will have them on their smartphone and will start the playback on the sign of the person conducting the event. For outsiders it will be a group dancing in absolute silence.
The happening starts at 15:00. More information on this subject can be found on the website of the Ponton Group, as well as in the event «Valentine’s Day – prepare with Ponton» on Facebook. The campaign is accompanied by the “HIV Quiz” application, which will be available for download from the Google Play store, Ponton website, and from the leaflet after scanning the QR code just before the event. It will include a map with a designated silent disco route, consultation and diagnostic points where you can test for HIV free of charge and anonymously, and a pill of knowledge about the virus and prevention.
– I believe that such an action will help us reach a wider audience and audience, that it will attract the attention of passers-by. People should understand that HIV affects everyone, and that by burying your head in the sand you cannot protect yourself from infection, explains Joanna Skonieczna, a representative of the Ponton Group. – Young people often ignore warnings, hoping for a stroke of luck and modern, more effective therapies, but we must not forget that HIV is a dangerous virus. It must not be underestimated. We hope that campaigns such as the Ponton Group’s Valentine’s Day silent disco will result in greater caution among young people, and if someone becomes infected – with a better awareness of the importance of starting therapy quickly and of close cooperation with an infectious disease doctor – said Paweł Mierzejewski, program coordinator « Positively Open-minded ».
The aim of the “Positively Open” Program is to promote HIV prevention and knowledge about the possibilities of living with the virus normally. As part of the “Positively Open” program, a competition is organized for institutions and people who would like to run or already run programs in the areas of education and activation, as well as HIV / AIDS prevention and diagnosis. Program partners include Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw, National AIDS Center.