More than 80 gay or bisexual men from around New Zealand have put themselves forward for the Gay Men's Health Safe Sex Poster Boy competition. Entries were accepted online throughout the month of September, under one of six categories: Party Boy, Bear/Cub/Leather, Boy Next Door/Regular Guy, Sportsman, Businessman/Professional, and Alternative. “We're very pleased with the response,” says Douglas Jenkin, National Campaigns Co-ordinator for the New Zealand AIDS Foundation. “We've had men enter from rural areas as well as cities, across all the categories, and a wide age range. Our youngest entrant is 18 and our oldest is 69.” A requirement of entry was consistent use of condoms for anal sex, the best method for preventing transmission of HIV between men. Entrants were asked to supply their own reasons why using condoms is important for them. “Many entrants spoke of the need to protect their health as one of the reasons why they use condoms, but some also had personal experience of the epidemic, such as knowing someone who is HIV positive,” Jenkin says. “This highlights the importance of making sure the safe sex message is personally relevant for all gay and bisexual men, which is one of the aims of this contest.” Safe Sex Poster Boy will now proceed into the next phase, which involves entrants being interviewed on-camera before a panel of their peers during the month of October. Selections from the interviews will appear on www.safesexposterboy.co.nz. “This will act as a dry run for the semi-finals, which will be held in venues in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch,” Jenkin explains. “Then it's up to our communities to decide who will be the safe sex poster boys for 2008!” Ref: NZ AIDS Foundation (Press Release)