On 1^st of August, 2023, we organized a campaign about HIV and other STIs. The campaign took place in the center of Sofia where we met youth and teenagers and talked about what are the common STIs and how they spread and how we can protect ourselves while enjoying healthy life. 

The campaign was very engaging as it included some quiz, ribbons, condoms and candies. We also had music, posters, balloons, decoration and Facebook event promotion.

During the campaign there was a good flow of young people interested to learn about HIV. It was the first time for some of them to hear about HIV and STIs and while some of them had better knowledge although they had myths about it. So the campaign was very beneficial to correct these misconceptions. 

Some of the young people were a little bit shy to participate in the campaign, as sexual health is considered a taboo to talk about in society. There were young people from different countries who were more open to participate and welcomed the idea to be ambassadors for the campaign.

The campaign for us was a simple act to connect with the young people and start a conversation with them about HIV to make it more acceptable for them to talk and learn about safe sex and how to protect themselves from different STIs. In conclusion, We want to emphasize on the importance of having awareness campaigns every now and then to young people to ensure they get the accurate information they need to have a better understanding of health which is necessary for everyone to learn about.

Prepared by “YouthPrint” ESC Volunteer: 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐀𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐝