n conjunction with World AIDS Day, Reckitt Benckiser’s Durex Malaysia (Durex) contributed RM8,000 and 50,000 pieces of Durex condoms to PT Foundation, Malaysia’s largest community-based HIV/AIDS organisation. The donations were raised in collaboration with retail giants Watsons Malaysia and Guardian Pharmacy Malaysia in support of PT Foundation’s on-going HIV/AIDS advocacy work and education programmes in Malaysia. The fundraising initiative was part of Durex’s #SOMEBODYLIKEME World AIDS Day Campaign. As part of the on-going charity drive, Durex has pledged to one piece of condom with every pack of Durex condoms purchased at Watsons and RM0.20 per pack purchased at Guardian was channelled to PT Foundation. #SOMEBODYLIKEME Campaign is month-long campaign launched on 15th November 2013 aimed at educating Malaysian youths on HIV/AIDS.

Durex #SomebodyLikeMe HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign

Durex Malaysia #SOMEBODYLIKEME Campaign is in response to the waning concern among Malaysian youths with regard to HIV/AIDS. It is indeed worrying as recent statistics have shown an increase of HIV infections among young people, particularly between the age of 13 and 29. Over and above the fundraising effort, the #SOMEBODYLIKEME campaign also saw Durex working in collaboration with prominent social influencers on social media to educate youths on HIV/AIDS. Personalities including, Yang Berbahagia Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Niki Cheong, Reuben Kang, KlubbKidd KL aka Joe Lee, Audrey Pui Yan, Karena Cheow, Hanie Hidayah and Christopher Tock have been posting provocative statements and questions regarding HIV/AIDS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogs and YouTube, to encourage conversation among youths while reinforcing the fact that HIV/AIDS can infect and affect anyone, including ‘somebody like me’ as the widespread misconception among young people that HIV/AIDS can only happen to ‘other people’, or the ‘not-me-syndrome’ can hamper an effective HIV/AIDS education to occur in Malaysia.

If you have been following me on Facebook and Twitter, you would have realized that I’m one of the social influencers and I have been posting about this topic too. One of the most interesting topic was about “How old do you think should kids be introduced to sex education in school?”. It seemed like parents nowadays are more concerned about their kids’ safety and therefore would prefer them to know which parts they should protect themselves from the other sex as early as 7 years old.

I was happy and proud to be chosen to make some changes in the society though it’s not a very big impact since I’m no Nelson Mandela. I hope that by participating in more campaigns like this, I can bring more change and awareness to the public. Malaysians are still not open enough to talk about sex and some would decline to elaborate but I guess it would be better over time. Most of the people learn about sex through sex site and videos that obviously will not touch about HIV/AIDS so I think this explains the increment of HIV infections among young people. The information about HIV/AIDS are available readily online so all we actually need to do is to Google it instead of staying ignorant! You too can be an agent of change by participating in the #SOMEBODYLIKEME Campaign and educate your friends about the pandemic, simply by your updating your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or Blogs on issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, with the [hashtag]SOMEBODYLIKEME throughout the month of December. This #somebodylikeme HIV/AIDS campaign has been a successful case out of the global campaigns done by Social Grooves.

To learn more about the #SOMEBODYLIKEME Campaign, please visit Durex Malaysia’s Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, at www.facebook.com/DurexMalaysia, www.twitter.com/DurexMY or www.youtube.com/user/durexmalaysia. You may also visit PT Foundation’s website at www.ptfmalaysia.org to educate yourself about HIV and AIDS.