Dannii Minogue and Terrence Higgins Trust have today launched a campaign to raise awareness about HIV and encourage support from the public. The “Wear Your Ribbon” campaign co-incides with World AIDS Day and launches against a backdrop of rapid increases in new HIV infections in the UK and around the world.

Earlier this year singer Dannii Minogue enrolled as an Ambassador for Young People with Terrence Higgins Trust. One of Dannii’s roles will be to help THT campaign and lobby for greater political and public understanding of the personal, social and medical impact of HIV and AIDS and the importance of safer sex.

Dannii has been working with HIV and sexual health charities in both the UK and Australia since the 1980s. Genevieve Clark, Director of Communications at Terrence Higgins Trust said: “We're really excited that Dannii is working with us to get safer sex messages out to young people. She's a brilliant role model for teenagers and her energy and empathy are a great asset to our work." Dannii hopes her endorsement will help to encourage people to discuss the subject more openly.

Dannii Minogue said: “It’s soul destroying to see hard facts that there are so many young men and women in the UK making uneducated decisions about safe sex, putting their health and lives directly at risk from this deadly disease. We’re not telling young people not to have fun and enjoy their lives. We should all have a whole exciting future in front of us and that’s why there is a real need for education. Being sexy doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be safe, don’t let yourself be part of these terrifying statistics. HIV is not a gay thing, an age thing, or a race thing – it is sadly part of life and we need to understand that.”

To help promote World AIDS Day 2004, safer sex messages and to raise urgently needed money for Terrence Higgins Trust, Dannii has been photographed by fashion photographer Sandro Hyams wearing the global symbol for World AIDS Day, the red ribbon, titled ‘Wear Your Ribbon on World AIDS Day”. These pictures will be seen throughout the UK on December 1st and the year ahead.

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