MUMBAI: US broadcaster MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation have announced the creation of Think HIV. This is a multi-platform, interactive community for this first generation of Americans who have lived their entire lives during the Aids epidemic.

This initiative is part of their Sexual Health campaign with support from the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (Nastad), WebMD.nd WebMD.

The initiative seeks to provide a platform to foster dialogue and active engagement on the topic of HIV/Aids and especially its impact on young people, as well as provide information and resources to young people about HIV/AIDS. According to UNAIDS, about half of new HIV infections worldwide are among those under the age of 25.

MTVN Music Group president entertainment Brian Graden says, “The MTV audience has never known a day without HIV, and young people around the world are at the center of the epidemic. We have a long history of educating and empowering our audience on this issue, and while progress has been made, there is still work to be done. think HIV will offer our viewers a new, interactive and safe place to learn about and fight it.

Think HIV will have several components. One of them is a documentary. MTV and Kaiser – will produce Think HIV. This is a documentary in which young people themselves tell the story of how their generation has been impacted by the virus. Part memorial, part testimony, these short vignettes filmed entirely by infected or affected young people will paint a raw, intimate, and informative portrait of the epidemic’s impact on their lives. The half hour show will premiere on MTV on 18 August 2006—the last day of the International AIDS Conference in Toronto.

Then there is the think HIV Online Community. This will serve as an interactive community that will launch following the premiere of the documentary . The site will be an engaging and interactive, safe space for young people to share their personal stories through videos, photos and blogs and text about HIV/Aids. The user-friendly site will also provide easy access to information and resources about HIV/AIDS including prevention and testing as well as how to get involved in the global fight – including access to health information, resources and the online community at WebMD.

Think HIV builds on both MTV and Kaiser’s long-term commitment to educating and empowering young people in the fight against HIV/AIDS, in part through their 10-year partnership, currently called think: Sexual Health. To date, the Emmy and Peabody Award winning partnership has garnered more than 100 million viewers to its documentaries, 1.2 million calls to the toll-free hotline and has distributed more than 450,000 informational guides.