back to top About avert.org
AVERT.org is one of the most popular HIV & AIDS websites in the world. The number of visitors has increased massively over recent years, and keeps on rising. The reason? We constantly update our pages with the most current and relevant HIV/AIDS information available. Our audience comes from every walk of life, including students, teachers, people living with HIV and their families and friends. Many of our readers are from the US or the UK - where we are based - but we also have lots of visitors from elsewhere in the world. This is because of the extensive and comprehensive variety of information on HIV/AIDS and sexuality offered through the website.
We look at controversies related to AIDS, we have a vibrant young people's section, and we look at almost every aspect of human sexuality - offering advice, answering difficult questions and providing accessible, easy to understand information on complex subjects.
The website is run by AVERT, an international HIV and AIDS charity based in the UK which, before the days of the internet, amongst other things, used to produce informational booklets, posters and fliers giving people the information they needed to protect themselves from HIV.
back to top The start of avert.org
The site avert.org was started in 1995 with the first information being put up for December 1st , World AIDS Day. At that time there was almost no HIV/AIDS information on the web and AVERT was one of the first AIDS charities to go online.
The site was started by Annabel Kanabus, who at that time was the chief executive of AVERT. Annabel was responsible for the development of the site as it evolved, keeping up with the rapid change of the internet worldwide. Annabel also was the web editor and wrote extensively for the site until she retired from AVERT in the summer of 2011. By then avert.org had become the most popular HIV/AIDS website in the world, and one of the most up to date, wide-ranging and respected sources on HIV/AIDS available online.
back to top Where are we now?
During 2010 we supplied more than 65 million pages of information to more than 30 million visitors from every corner of the world - from Europe, America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and South America. The main reason that the site is here is to inform people, help people to protect themselves, and ultimately, to help people make educated decisions that can save lives.
The site has become a major educational and informational tool, shaping decisions and providing information for people all around the world - from individuals to governments to journalists to teachers.
That's something you can be a part of, too. Everyone's got something to say, and you'll find lots of parts of the site where your contributions will be welcome - whoever you are, whatever your race, age, sexuality or nationality. You can email us at info@avert.org if you'd like to comment on or contribute anything to the site.
back to top BMA award
In November 2005 AVERT.org was selected by the British Medical Association (BMA) as the winner of the BMA Patient Information Award for Websites. The website was praised by judges for being “very well referenced, information rich and possessing a clean look”.
The BMA Patient Information Award for Websites was founded in 1998 to acknowledge the increasing importance of patient sites on the internet.
The award came almost ten years to the day since the AVERT HIV and AIDS website was launched.
The site's content comes from a number of different sources. These include:
- Original material written by people at AVERT.org.
- Old AVERT printed publications. We're trying to phase these out now, but we've incorporated all the relevant information into the site.
- Some content from users of the site who send in their stories to us on lots of different subjects - losing their virginity, being gay & coming out, living with HIV, or losing a friend or family member to AIDS. Our site covers most aspects of human sexuality, so feel free to contribute your views or experiences.
- Pictures from other organizations who have given us permission to use them. The copyright holders are credited wherever such images are used.
Content on the AVERT website is written by a team of website writers, using a wide range of sources. Care has been taken to ensure where needed, content is referenced. For more information see our copyright page.
Over the years people who have written for the website have included: Annabel Kanabus, Ben Hill-Jones, Bonita de Boer, Gemma Spink, Graham Pembrey, James Magee, Jamie Guiver, Jane Pennington, Jenni Fredriksson-Bass, Marta Zaccagnini, Matthew Leake, Rachael King, Rachel Ruscombe-King, Rosalind Johnston, Simon Forrest, Steve Berry, Rob Noble, Rosie Jones, Sarah Allen, Sheetal Kumar and Emma Standley.
If you need to give a reference for some information you have obtained from the site, then you should give the full address of the page and the date it was accessed e.g.
www.avert.org/his81_86.htm accessed (01/01/06)
back to top Don't agree?
HIV/AIDS and sexuality can be controversial issues and we strive to present unbiased, informed and factual information on the topics we cover. However, we'd encourage you to use the internet for further exploration.
If you still think we've made a mistake or omission then please let us know, and we'll check it out right away.
back to top Technical issues
Some of the files on the site are in PDF format, which is useful for downloadable things - posters, leaflets, etc. If you cannot access one of these files, it may be that you haven't got a recent copy of acrobat reader which can be downloaded here. Other parts on the site - like some of the interactive bits, like the videos - use a program called Flash, and if your computer has difficulty running these bits, you may need to download macromedia shockwave player which is needed to view these pages. You can still access everything on the site without Flash, but Flash does make things look prettier!
back to top Copyright
Most material on the site is the copyright of AVERT.org, although some parts (photos, for example) may be owned by other organizations. Anything which is owned by someone else will have a statement on or near it saying who the owner is. Please don't print out and copy chunks of the site. We are a charity and we work hard to produce this information. If you would like to reproduce any of the information, graphics or photos on the site, there are important legal reasons why you will need to have permission first.
If the copyright owner is not AVERT.org then you will need to contact
them to get permission - contact details can be found on our copyright page.
back to top Privacy policy
AVERT.org operates a privacy policy to safeguard your privacy on the website.
back to top Medical info
On a site about HIV, AIDS and STDs there's bound to be lots of medical information. On AVERT.org, we always try to provide the best possible information for people all around the world, but this is not a substitute for seeing a doctor.
back to top Got something to say?
If you have something to tell us about the web site, then why not drop us an email at info@avert.org and let us know? AVERT.org is driven by people like you who use the site, and we get hundreds of emails every week. We read all your emails, and we appreciate any suggestions, ideas, and constructive criticism!
back to top More information about AVERT
For more information about AVERT please go to the page about us, the AIDS charity AVERT.