Zimbabwe's Hairdressers Join HIV Fight

As part of a ?20 million ($38 million US) grant from the British government, a five-year campaign is training more than 1,000 hairdressers in Zimbabwe to offer HIV counseling and condoms to their clients. The campaign, run by the nongovernmental group Population Services International, aims to reduce new infections by increasing testing and encouraging safer sex. "The salons are conducive environments where women can feel free to speak about HIV-related issues. Our hairdressers are very enthusiastic about the positive social role they can play," said Yasmin Madan of PSI in Harare. Last year, more than half of all female condoms distributed in the country were channeled through a network of 700 salons in low-income areas. Zimbabwe is one of the few countries with a successful female condom program, with demand for the prophylactics increasing 240 percent since 2001.

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