Posts Tagged ‘MTV’

I joined forces with Durex, The Body Shop, MTV Networks International, the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, singer Solange Knowles, and The Naked Cowboy to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and to promote safer sex. Yesterday, we launched the new campaign, “Say yes, yes, yes to safe sex,” and introduced The Body Shop’s new Tantalizing Lip Butter. Five dollars of each sold goes to the MTV Staying Alive Foundation to support HIV/AIDS education for young people around the world. Durex donated 100,000 condoms which were distributed in Times Square.

The launch event began at a swanky loft in Soho. Solange Knowles spoke about HIV prevention and the need for more education for teens about safer sex. She also discussed how President Obama has inspired her to help others. Solange was poised, well spoken and lovely. I spoke about safer sex, including the fact that there are over 33 million people living with HIV and AIDS around the world. I also mentioned that according to the Durex survey, sixty percent of people say that even though they know about the risks of contracting HIV from sex, they still do not always use protection. There’s no reason to say “no” to condoms, because today new thinner condoms (such as Sensi-Thin and Extra Sensitive) feel better than condoms have ever felt. Also, there are many ways to integrate condoms into lovemaking, so that they can even spice up people’s sex lives, which, of course, I detail in my book.

We reassembled in Times Square where models wearing “yes, yes, yes” pajamas distributed Durex condoms. The Naked Cowboy, who played a “yes, yes, yes” labeled guitar, attracted tons of attention as he sang a little ditty about safer sex: “If you don’t want to mess with HIV, then join The Body Shop and MTV. Say yes, yes, yes to safe sex with me.” He sang this same song over and over for hours. (Although, I swear that once I heard him sing, “If you don’t want to masturbate, then say yes to safe sex with me.”)

It was a great day for HIV/AIDS education in NYC.

I just got off the air from the appearance during which I discussed the MTV Video Music Awards. See the photo below of me standing in front of the camera. Host Mike Galanos is based in Atlanta, so I was on via satellite from CNN’s gorgeous studio in NYC. In two segments, Perez Hilton and I discussed Jordin Sparks’ remark defending purity rings. Also on the air for the first segment was Joanna Weiss who wrote about this story for the Boston Globe. I agree with Perez Hilton that Jordin was right to say something, and given the fact that her remark was unrehearsed, she did fine. However, it is wrong to classify people — as she did — as either virgins or sluts. It’s the myth of that dichotomy that often keeps us from discussing the reality of most teens’ and young twentysomething’s sex lives. Most teens and twentysomethings have sex in the context of relationships, and at least 87% use birth control. Perhaps teens could feel more comfortable talking about sex with mom and dad if their parents understood that when teens have sex it is not always harmful or ”bad.” Perhaps teens would also feel more comfortable reaching out to get sex education if they knew that our culture would not categorize them as a “slut” if they responsibly choose to have sex.