- A netizen found a flyer supposedly made by DepEd and POPCOM from Region VI
- He shared his annoyance on the information that this ad is spreading
- It has gone viral and people have also commented their anger, disappointment, and disapproval
A few hours ago, a Facebook user posted a photo of a flyer that he found offensive and homophobic. He shared a flyer informing the public on “How to avoid HIV/AIDS?”
The said flyer has both the logos of Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Population (POPCOM) of Region VI.
It had the basics down such as being honest, protected, and knowledgeable on these things. It had one box, however, that had a major flaw.
Alleged poster that became viral online. Photo credit: Gab Q. Espiritu
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The one section with one line fired off many angry comments from netizens stated: “Avoid having sexual intercourse to homosexual.”
That statement seems to imply that HIV and AIDS can only be transmitted through sexual intercourse with homosexuals only, which is entirely false. HIV and AIDS can be transmitted through sexual intercourse with not just homosexuals but also heterosexuals.
The original poster has written an open letter to DepED saying that they are instilling fear through this flyer and giving misinformation through countless people. It is their duty after all, to “to educate the mass to abolish stigma for a better community,” but instead they have crossed the line.
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In the comments section, people’s reactions comprise mostly of angry ones. They have pointed out the irony of DepEd being the one who needs to have a better education on HIV/AIDS.
The irony of
Others have also noticed the grammatical and typographical errors on the post. The original poster also pointed out the improper use of preposition and that it should have been "Avoid having sexual intercourse WITH (not TO)..."
But some have started to question the reliability of the source. The flyer may not be at all from DepEd and POPCOM of Region VI, according to these netizens.
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Because of this post going viral, it has reached DepEd and POPCOM. Both parties have already addressed this sensitive issue. DepED “STRONGLY DENIES having developed and fielded any IEC material entitled How to Avoid HIV/AIDS?” Futhermore, they stated that they would “never develop, produce, and distribute materials with erroneous and misleading information.”
Official statement of DepEd regarding the issue.
What can you say about this matter? -Kami Media
