A Day with HIV captures 24 hours in the lives of people affected by stigma
1:55 PM: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cree Gordon: I have been HIV positive for 13 years. Treatment as Prevention (TasP) works to reduce HIV transmission; PrEP works to reduce HIV transmission. We can end HIV with help of TasP and PrEP; we just have to address the barriers of access.
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September 17, 2019: A Day with HIV, the anti-stigma photo campaign of Positively Aware magazine, takes place Monday, September 23. A Day with HIV captures 24 hours in the lives of people affected by stigma. HIV stigma affects everyone—regardless of age, race, or even HIV status. The social media-driven campaign, now in its tenth year, is an opportunity for people to share a moment of their day and tell their story, while breaking down the barriers that stigma creates and raising awareness about HIV.
“Stigma can isolate and scare people,” said Positively Aware art director Rick Guasco, who created the campaign. “It can also prevent people from accessing care and treatment. A Day with HIV brings people together; it shows that we’re all affected by stigma, and that people living with HIV are just like everyone else.”
On Monday, Sept. 23, take a picture and post it to your social media with the hashtag #adaywithhiv; include a caption that gives the time and location—and what inspired you to take the photo. Pictures can also be uploaded to adaywithhiv.com, where they will be considered for publication in a special section of the November+December issue of Positively Aware, an HIV treatment and health magazine produced by TPAN, a nonprofit HIV/AIDS service organization in Chicago.
A number of uploaded photos will also be selected for different versions of the magazine’s cover.
“Some great photos are taken for A Day with HIV, but the real impact comes from the stories behind those images,” added Guasco, who was diagnosed in 1992. “Posting their picture is an opportunity for a person to tell their story, and to humanize life with HIV.”
A Day with HIV is produced by Positively Aware, a national magazine published six times a year that delivers HIV wellness news and inspiring stories to over 100,000 readers. Subscriptions are available on Positively Aware's website.
Positively Aware is published by TPAN, which also provides lifesaving care in the Chicagoland area to people living with HIV or who are at risk.
A Day with HIV is Monday, September 23.