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

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 12, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Pulli Raja raised AIDS risk perception'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JUNE 11. It has been quite a while since `Pulli Raja' went off the television screen and hoardings. Apparently, the mascot for HIV/AIDS awareness has done a whole load of good, going 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 age group 18-34 before the campaign and 1,677 men after it was over, 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 practising sex with known people does not reduce the risk of getting HIV/AIDS. This, substantially increased to 47 per cent after an 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 TNS Mode was commissioned to do the study, which indicated that 32 per cent of the target audience spontaneously recalled 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, with the same mascot.

"It is important to provide information in a sustained manner to make a difference. And since Pulli Raja helps to personalise the risk factor, he will continue to be the main character."

However, she said, the team learnt some lessons based on feedback.

"For instance, we had complaints that the advertisements portrayed women, especially commercial sex workers, in a 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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