Megan Beffa, healthcare assistant, Checkpoint Zürich

It was shown how HIV stigma affects mental wellbeing and leads to social isolation. It also makes access to treatment and testing in communities more difficult for those affected. The term “clean” reinforces the prejudice that people with HIV are “dirty”, which further increases stigmatization.

Participants in the study were asked about HIV stigma:

• A third of respondents reported feelings of shame, guilt and worthlessness.
• Around half of the participants decided not to have sex in the last year.
• Around 30% of people felt “dirty”.
• “On Grindr, when I revealed my status, I was told, ‘Fuck off, you're dirty’.”

The Burnett Foundation Aotearoa created a sex-positive, entertaining animation and song to creatively combat this stigma. The content was shared on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Grindr, as well as placed on various specific websites such as Pornhub and also distributed through podcasts by local drag queens.

The results showed a huge reach in the communities:

• Social media: 550,000+ views, over 1,218 shares
• Student Radio: 34,000 listeners on Radio bFM
• Grindr geo-targeting: 130,000+ views, 3.62% click-through rate
• Podcast partnership: 1,800,950 impressions

The campaign was successful. In the future, the foundation will continue to involve people living with HIV and create new content to further reduce the stigma.

I chose this topic because digitalization is becoming increasingly important. Media allows information to be disseminated quickly, but requires accuracy. It is crucial to use digital opportunities carefully to avoid misinformation and educate effectively.