HIV Stigma: Social Experiment Reveals How People React When Asked To Touch An HIV-Positive Stranger
For
many living with HIV, life can be lonely. During a recent social experiment, an
HIV-positive Finnish man showed just how far people will go to avoid those with
HIV and just how many are willing to push aside old prejudices to overstep this
once taboo boundary.
Since HIV was first identified in 1983,
there have been tremendous strides made in how we diagnose, treat, and even prevent the virus.
Still, scientific advancements have not reached a cure and
the stigma of HIV and ignorance of how one contracts the virus remains
prevalent. To be clear, the one way to contract the virus is through a direct
exchange of bodily fluids. Despite this, for some, being HIV-positive means living life
as a pariah, as many believe that merely touching puts their
health in danger. In this heartbreaking video, a man identified as
"Janne" addresses the public’s perception of HIV by challenging the
citizens of Helsinki to touch him.
In the short clip, Janne
sits in a park with his eyes closed and arms open standing next to a sign that
reads, “I’m HIV-positive, touch me,” and waits to see the crowd’s reaction. At
first, the passing crowds barely give Janne a second glance. Slowly though,
strangers begin to touch Janne, whether it be a pat on the shoulder, a handshake,
or even a full-on hug. In the end, we see how even decades-old prejudices, such
as the stigma of HIV, can be broken with enough effort.