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Heart of Stigma Digital Toolkit

"We must start the difficult conversations, take action when we bear witness to a stigmatizing incident, and hold ourselves to higher and more inclusive moral standards."
This year, the International AIDS Society (IAS) has dedicated its fourth Annual Letter to addressing the underlying core of HIV: stigma.

With the theme, Getting to the heart of stigma, the Annual Letter will serve as the launch of the #HeartofStigma campaign. This digital toolkit serves the primary communications resource for the Annual Letter and the connected campaign.



Background

The IAS Annual Letter was launched on 14 February (Valentine’s Day). With the theme, Getting to the heart of stigma, the Annual Letter will serve as the start of a stigma-focused agenda that the IAS will prioritize throughout 2019 and build on for the future.

Together, we can all change the narratives that fuel HIV-related stigma by starting the difficult conversations, taking action when we bear witness to a stigmatizing incident, and holding ourselves to higher and more inclusive standards.

The #HeartofStigma campaign is aimed at shifting the narratives that drive HIV-related stigma. It starts with the IAS Annual Letter as the core statement, in addition to featuring personal stories and experiences by people in all shapes and sizes regardless of social or economic standing, gender or sexual preference, geographic background or skin colour. We can get to the #HeartofStigma by both calling out the discriminatory laws, policies and practices across a range of settings around the world that further encourage stigmatizing behaviour as a social norm, as well as where stigma is being successfully challenged.



Get
involved

Starting this Valentine's Day 2019, take part by sharing:

  • A #HeartofStigma message to help spread the word
  • Your personal experience with stigma using #HeartofStigma
  • How you challenge stigma in your community using #HeartofStigma



Zero Discrimination Day

Zero Discrimination Day (1 March) is a day to celebrate the right of everyone to live a full and productive life — and live it with dignity. So this Zero Discrimination Day, let’s celebrate frontline healthcare providers who are providing stigma-free service and promote best practices in healthcare settings.

These frontline healthcare providers were recognized as the 2018 Me and My Healthcare Provider Champions who are #DoingTheRightThing by delivering quality HIV prevention, treatment and care services to key populations, often in the face of discriminatory laws, traditions and belief systems. Watch and share their stories and together we can promote their best practices to help get to the #HeartofStigma.



2018 Me and My Healthcare Provider Champions

I stand strong: Living with HIV in Uganda

Healthcare for all: Overcoming HIV stigma in Lebanon



Tackling HIV stigma in Kazakhstan

Providing health services to sex workers living with HIV in Malawi



Sample social
media

Help spread the word about HIV stigma and the IAS Annual Letter by sharing one or more of the posts below.

Zero Discrimination Day 2019

This #ZeroDiscriminationDay, let’s celebrate the frontline healthcare provider champions #DoingTheRightThing by providing stigma-free services to vulnerable populations http://ow.ly/g40x30nPTrq #HeartofStigma

Did you know? Roughly 1 in 5 people living with HIV have been denied medical care on the basis of their HIV status, according to recent People Living with #HIV Stigma Index surveys. Meet the healthcare champions fighting HIV stigma http://ow.ly/49EM30nRQje #ZeroDiscriminationDay

Discrimination in healthcare settings is harmful to public health. On this #ZeroDiscriminationDay let’s celebrate the healthcare professionals providing stigma-free care. Keep #DoingTheRightThing! http://ow.ly/g40x30nPTrq #HeartofStigma

“Where medicine is, there is love for humanity. The minute you decide to discriminate against people, that's it, you’ve lost it.” Nesrine Rizk is getting to the #HeartofStigma in Lebanon http://ow.ly/hFpD30nRScY #ZeroDiscriminationDay

Join the @iasociety in getting to the #HeartofStigma this #ZeroDiscriminationDay by sharing the stories of frontline healthcare champions providing stigma-free services to key populations. Watch their stories here http://ow.ly/g40x30nPTrq

"We all have to change our attitudes. Female sex workers are human beings just like you and I, they also need care just like you and I." - Judith Nthini and Loveness Bowa Gunda are tackling #HIV stigma in #Malawi. Watch their story http://ow.ly/5zsF30nSMNu #ZeroDiscriminationDay   

"These healthcare providers are delivering quality HIV prevention, treatment and care services to key populations in the face of discriminatory laws, traditions and belief systems. This #ZeroDiscriminationDay, watch and share their stories and show the world what getting to the #HeartofStigma looks like.

Copy and paste the text above into Facebook

“Where medicine is, there is love for humanity. The minute you decide to discriminate against people, that's it, you’ve lost it.” - Nesrine Rizk, Lebanon. This #ZeroDiscriminationDay, let’s celebrate the frontline healthcare provider champions who are getting to the #HeartofStigma by providing stigma-free services to vulnerable populations

Copy and paste the text above into Facebook

2019 Annual Letter

"We must start the difficult conversations, take action when we bear witness to a stigmatizing incident, and hold ourselves to higher and more inclusive standards." http://ow.ly/Fwo530nFsYG @iasociety #HeartofStigma

HIV and AIDS doesn't discriminate. People do. http://ow.ly/Fwo530nFsYG #HeartofStigma

"The fact remains that we will never "end AIDS" until we end stigma." http://ow.ly/Fwo530nFsYG #HeartofStigma

#DYK? Out of 195 countries, fewer than 24 permit same-sex marriage. @iasociety's Annual Letter explains how we can get to the #HeartofStigma http://ow.ly/Fwo530nFsYG

"What we are seeing in the case of #HIV-related stigma is mirrored more generally in the world's seeming retreat on #HumanRights." http://ow.ly/Fwo530nFsYG #HeartofStigma

"We all have to change our attitudes. Female #SexWorkers are human beings just like you and I, they also need care just like you and I." - Loveness Gunda, @iasociety Me and My Healthcare Provider Champion http://ow.ly/Fwo530nFsYG #HeartofStigma

"Stigma, stigma and stigma. We know that if we can deal with stigma we'll have travelled very far in dealing with this epidemic." - @ConCourtSA Justice Hon. Edwin Cameron http://ow.ly/Fwo530nFsYG #HeartofStigma

"We must start the difficult conversations, take action when we bear witness to a stigmatizing incident, and hold ourselves to higher and more inclusive standards." The International AIDS Society’s Annual Letter calls out the underlying core of HIV: stigma. #HeartofStigma

Copy and paste the text above into Facebook

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Download
and share

Download the #HeartofStigma graphics and share them on social media using @iasociety and #HeartOfStigma. Click to download.

Zero Discrimination Day 2019

2019 Annual Letter

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Contact
Us

Please contact the IAS communications team with questions or inquiries at media[at]iasociety[dot]org and direct your message to the person you wish to connect with.

  • Mandy Sugrue, Director, Communications

  • Patrick Grossmann, Digital Producer, Communications