Despite enormous medical advances in the fight against the HIV virus, one reality remains that is all too rarely discussed: The greatest challenge for many people living with HIV today is not of a medical nature – it is the discrimination they still face in 2025. It is precisely this imbalance that the Swiss AIDS Federation is highlighting on World AIDS Day 2025, with a poster campaign that is deliberately provocative, clear and, at times, humorous.

These messages are visible across the country from today: at railway stations, on the streets, in towns and villages. They are loud, pithy and deliberately uncomfortable – and they convey a truth that is still too little known in Switzerland: people living with HIV who are on treatment cannot pass on the virus, either through sex or in everyday life.

“Many people simply do not know that HIV is not transmissible when on treatment,” says Andreas Lehner, Chief Executive of the Swiss AIDS Federation. This is referred to as a viral load below the detection limit. If the virus is undetectable, it is also non-transmissible. This is also known as ‘Undetectable = Untransmittable’, or ‘U=U’ for short. “This lack of knowledge leads to rejection, uncertainty and unnecessary fear.”

To mark its 40th anniversary, the Swiss AIDS Federation is deliberately launching a campaign that not only informs but also challenges. The slogans challenge outdated perceptions and call on the public to take responsibility – not for the virus, but for their attitude towards people living with it. “We need a Switzerland that treats people with HIV as science has been advising for years: respectfully, knowledgeably and without fear,” says Lehner. “Discrimination against people with HIV remains a reality to this day. And that is what we are fighting against.”

The campaign is both an appeal and an invitation. “We are asking something of everyone: to acknowledge the facts and to question old ways of thinking,” says Andreas Lehner. At the same time, this is a cause for everyone. “Because ultimately, everyone benefits from this knowledge. For people living with HIV, it means less discrimination. And for everyone, it means more love and consensual sex,” he adds with a smile.