Durex The Birds and Bees Talk (TBBT) program, an initiative by Reckitt, has partnered with Sikkim State AIDS Control Society (SSACS) as the Health Partner for World AIDS Day 2023 celebrations. Aligned with the World Health Organization’s theme ‘Let Communities Lead,’ the program aims to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among students and teachers.The event, organized by SSACS in collaboration with National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), featured the SOFIYUM Music Festival, showcasing performances by Gangtok’s own SOFIYUM and hip hop artist Sudarshan Rai. Sudarshan Rai’s socially conscious lyrics emphasized the key pillars of the Durex TBBT curriculum, focusing on consent, equity, inclusion, awareness, and protection.
The celebration also included a Pride Walk Fashion Show featuring Queenandro, Xorem, and Gracy, drawing attention to the challenges faced by those affected by HIV/AIDS. Shri Nell Bahadur Chettri, Mayor of Gangtok Municipal Corporation, praised Durex TBBT as “a positive and fruitful program for the youths.”Ravi Bhatnagar, Director, External Affairs & Partnerships, SOA, Reckitt, expressed solidarity with the youth and emphasized the importance of community sensitization. The TBBT curriculum, showcased at the event, aims to provide accurate information on sexuality, life skills, and safer practices.
Mrs. Deki Wangmoo Phempu, Project Director, SSACS, lauded TBBT as a “good initiative” for making adolescents advocates of comprehensive reproductive health. The program continues to address challenges in the northeast by promoting informed conversations and empowering adolescents to become responsible adults.