German magazine's issue (Photo : YouTube/ MundaneMatt )
A lifestyle German magazine Vangardist is printing a complete issue using HIV-positive blood, Tech Times reported. The aim of the magazine is to educate the public and remove misconceptions about the deadly disease HIV and AIDS. Saatchi & Saatchi, an advertising agency, helped Vangardist design the edition.
Initially, it was reported that the cover was printed with ink containing HIV-positive blood.However, according to The Huffington Post, the complete issue of the magazine was printed with HIV-infected blood.
Jason Romeyko, Saatchi & Saatchi's executive creative director, said that in the last decade, there has been an 80 percent rise in HIV cases. The reason why this is occurring is people are not discussing about it anymore. He further said that he hopes the German magazine will restart these conversations.
The Saatchi & Saatchi agency said that the blood used as ink was donated by people suffering from HIV.
Romeyko said that the magazine is 100% safe to touch. The HIV virus dies within 30 minutes of being removed from a host body.
According to the magazine, the blood of the donors was pasteurized. Pasteurization is a heat process that makes sure the HIV virus is neutralized and is not capable of transmission.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV virus cannot live outside its host for long, CNET reported.
About 3,000 copies were printed with HIV-positive blood-infused ink and around 15,000 copies will be printed conventionally. Vangardist is based in Vienna and claims to have a readership of 100,000 each month.
