The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Pulli Raja raised AIDS risk perception'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 11, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Pulli Raja raised AIDS risk perception'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JUNE 10. It has been quite a while since `Pulli Raja' went off our television screens and hoardings. Apparently, the mascot for HIV/AIDS awareness has done a whole load of good, if one were to go by a study recently commissioned by the Population Services International (PSI), agency which promoted Pulli Raja.

Mapping the responses of a target group of 1,751 men in the 18-34 age group before the campaign and 1,677 men after the campaign, the PSI claimed to have established that the Pulli Raja campaign did indeed have an impact on raising awareness of HIV/AIDS issues.

"Prior to the campaign, 24 per cent of the interviewees felt that practicing sex with known people does not reduce the risk of getting HIV/AIDS. This, substantially increased to 47 per cent after exposure to the campaign," said Kaveeta Jayaram, communications manager, PSI. It also indicated that there was an increase in the risk perception of unprotected sex with a healthy looking non-commercial partner. Significantly, the percentage of interviewees using condoms in sexual encounters with non-commercial partners increased from 58 before the campaign to 65 after the campaign, she said.

"The PSI has embarked upon a mission, through the campaign, to expose the misconceptions surrounding HIV/AIDS transmission and risk assessment among high-risk groups," Ms.Jayaram said.

The study commissioned to TNS Mode also indicated that 32 per cent of the target audience spontaneously recalled the Pulli Raja advertisements. Sixty five per cent of them recalled the messages and 59 per cent of them discussed the advertisements with their peers.

The second phase would be finalised and launched in the next couple of months, retaining the same mascot. "It is important to provide information in a sustained manner to make a difference.

And since Pulli Raja helps personalise the risk factor, he will continue to be the main character." However, she said, the team learnt some lessons based on feedback and these would be incorporated into the next phase. "For instance, we had complaints that the advertisements portrayed women, especially commercial sex workers, in bad light. We did not intend to send out such a message, though the target was the man.

Next time, we will be careful to give a rounded picture, avoiding even such unintended references," she said.

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