You might think that AIDS has nothing to do with you since it only seems to happen in far away countries or among people with another kind of lifestyle than yours, but you might be wrong- and this misconception could be dangerous. Did you know that:

* 40% of new HIV+ cases in Eastern Europe are among women; for instance, Ukraine has more than doubled its rates in just five years, so that now around half million people there live with HIV/AIDS.

* In The United States, more than 1 million people are living with the HIV virus and 8 in 10 new infections in women are related to unsafe sexual practices.

* Heterosexually acquired HIV infections form the largest proportion (5 out of 10 cases) of new infections in Western Europe, with the United Kingdom showing the largest rate: HIV infections doubled in the last five years to almost 10,000 newly infected people a year today.

* HIV infections among men who have sex with men doubled in Germany between 2002-2006 and increased by two thirds in Belgium during the same period.

* In the last couple of years new HIV cases attributed to injecting drugs (dirty needles) have declined almost worldwide -making  unprotected sex now the most important way to get infected. Safe sex is more essential than ever!

Source: UNAIDS

To continue our prevention efforts towards young people, DAA has decided together with Dominique Models to found ‘Models against AIDS’, that will operate under the wings of DAA and that will inform girls and boys who dream of becoming a model  about HIV/AIDS and safe sex. Models against AIDS will not only inform, but also raise funds for future AIDS awareness programs: for every booking, each model and their agency will donate 1% to DAA. Furthermore, models will take part in future campaigns, give lectures at schools, speak out during interviews and at events and motivate their collegues to also join MAA. Spokesperson for Models against AIDS is Belgian top model Elise Crombez.

Pictured are Ninette Murk (founder DAA) and Marc Dochez (director Dominique Models)
 

One of the first covers we got for 'Fashion against AIDS' was Elle Belgique- as you can see, our spokesperson Elise Crombez is wearing the 'Stop and Think' T-shirt designed by Katharine Hamnett for FAA. We love it and we can't thank her enough.

A few weeks ago, photographer Thomas Vanhaute took pictures of some  of the best models at Dominique Models in Brussels with the t-shirts  and hoodies of the 'Fashion against AIDS' collection. We used this  opportunity to ask the models what their thoughts are about HIV/AIDS  or safe sex. Time for reflection!

Below those lines you also will be able to find other models who have recently joined Models Against AIDS.