Developing a fun and factual board game to help teach youngsters about contraception and sexual health has transformed Barbara Hastings-Asatourian from educator to entrepreneur - and created a company that is delivering social benefits on a global scale.

Barbara started to devise the Contraception Board Game in the late nineties as a more effective method of teaching young people. Supporting legislation came out and Barbara's business was kick started when she contacted Academic Enterprise at the University of Salford and received a range of support and advice, which helped her develop her business and networking skills. Barbara undertook continual research to develop her product, assess the market, look at other board games, and source different funding streams etc. She has now developed a successful product which is available in different formats and different languages and is being sold all over the world in countries such as China, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Australia and the USA.

Barbara has won many awards including a Passport to Excellence Award and she was short listed as a finalist in 2003 and 2005 respectively in the Entrepreneur of the Year and the DTi E-Commerce Awards. Barbara has developed both her academic and entrepreneurial skills and so her standing in both areas has increased. She is now considered a specialist in her field of work and has published numerous papers and is regularly invited to speak at international conferences on sexual health and contraception.

For more information contact:
Barbara Hasting-Asatourian, Contraception Education Ltd, 01457 850 860
Samina Khan, The University of Salford, 0161 295 6152