303: tackling taboos in India

To India today, and an interesting article from BBC news. As the article reports, new initiatives are being piloted across India in an effort to promote condoms for women and gay men - and they are proving far more successful than anyone thought. There are about 2.5 million HIV positive people in India, homosexuality is illegal, and women in particular lack control over family planning options. But those women involved in the pilot schemes have embraced the female condoms and, apparently, persuaded their husbands to embrace them too. And, according to the BBC article, they are more than happy to talk openly about their experiences, shattering local taboos in the process. Many have said they feel empowered - giving hope that women across the country can take greater control of their lives as these new initiatives are rolled out.