Ashley Judd Combats AIDS in India
Actress travels to subcontinent for documentary on impact of HIV/AIDS.
Nov. 4, 2007 — -- Ashley Judd, star of "Someone Like You" and "Kiss the Girls," traveled to India for her new film -- a documentary on the devastating effects of AIDS on poor women and their children.
Ashley Judd: There were some sisters that I met at the time, 9 and 12, and they're HIV/AIDS orphans. Both of their parents died closely one after the other. The father had become HIV infected ... and he gave it to the mother.
HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects girls and women, and it really preys upon the vulnerable and those who have less status in our societies. ... At this time, there is no cure, there is no vaccine, and prevention is our power.
It costs $10 per person, educated and protected for an entire year. ... It's very real. And it's real stories and real heartache and, also, real opportunity to focus on a solution that is very cost-effective and has an extraordinarily meaningful impact in the lives of young people.
The film, "India's Hidden Plague," will premiere Friday, Nov. 30, on the National Geographic Channel.