On World AIDS Day, December 1, 2006, I was lucky enough to attend Drawing It Out, the 1^st International HIV/AIDS Cartoon Exhibit at the United Nations. It featured over 300 cartoons by 50 graphic artists from all over the world.

“This is a time of great hope and great opportunity,” Sisulu said. “[These cartoons] create a colorful, lively and humorous way to draw us all to this serious subject.”

Drawing It Out was sponsored by the International Planned Parenthood Federation/Western Hemisphere Region (IPPF/WHR), the Government of Brazil and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Now the organizers are sharing some of the cartoons with Sex, Etc.

Funny & Hard-Hitting

The cartoons on display vary from a man using a condom as a seatbelt for protection to a bunch of money being poured into a ditch by two men who receive a single pill. While many of the cartoons make political statements about the huge cost of drugs to treat HIV/AIDS, they are also full of humor.

“You can laugh at the comics, but then step back and really think about the message,” says Ivonne Salazar, IPPF/WHR Public Affairs Assistant.

“It’s great how the cartoons help people talk freely about sex and protection,” adds Laura Zaks, public affairs coordinator for IPPF/WHR.

Drawing It Out has lots of great cartoons and important information about HIV/AIDS, and I hope the exhibit comes back to the United Nations next year. Until then, enjoy the cartoons on this page!

Latex condoms can protect you from many sexually transmitted diseases, like HIV, when used correctly each and every time you have sex. Want to know how to use a condom correctly? Click here.