The programme that implied selling condoms at theatres showing porn in India has overwhelming response, according to Indian health officials. Now more and more visitors do not hesitate to buy condoms from ticket counters. This is a great step forward in Indian society where sex is still considered a taboo subject that can be dealt with only behind closed doors, according to the campaigners.

Also the visitors tend to be more likely to talk to social workers about sexually transmitted diseases and ways of their prevention.

The programme was launched a year ago in Indian state Gujarat. The main goal of the programme was to spread awareness of AIDS and to encourage people to have safer sex.

The authorities of the state say, that the vast majority of visitors of theatres showing pornografic films belong to risk groups, such as migrant labourers who come to Gujarat to work at diamond factories. The labourers being far from their homes for quite a long time are more likely to have casual and unsafe sex.

«Migrant labourers will not stop visiting theatres showing pornografic films and having sex with prostitutes hanging around cinemas. The only our purpose is to persuade them to have safer sex and to be aware of AIDS», health officials say.

Condoms are sold at ticket counters, at tabacco shops located near the theatres and are handed by volunteers. Some theatres sell tickets with messages regarded safe sex printed on them. Also in some cinemas short films on AIDS and safer sex are screened before the shows.

In some theatres, messages regarding safer sex are printed on the back of the tickets and short films on the subject are screened before the shows.

There are circa 5.7 million HIV-positive people in India, more than in any other country of the world. However, a new study disputes these figures as its results shows that the number of people infected with the HIV virus could be as low as three million.