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FIGHTING STIGMA ONE STEP AT TIME: WALK IN THE SHOES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV THROUGH VIIV HEALTHCARE’S VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE

With modern advancements in HIV medicines and care, people living with HIV can live as long as people without HIV. But unfortunately, HIV stigma is still prevalent.

“People can live with HIV for decades now as long as they’re adherent to their medicines,” said Dr. Maggie Czarnogorski, MD, MPH, Head of Digital Innovation and Implementation Science at ViiV Healthcare. “But unfortunately, a lot of people still feel stigmatized. So we still have a lot of work to do. The medical advancements only work if we treat everyone’s needs.”

Exacerbating the challenge, many health care providers are unaware of the potentially stigmatizing issues their patients face or even their own role in causing stress or discomfort.

Through the power of storytelling, ViiV Healthcare’s “Chapters of Stigma” offers an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience which shines a light on the stresses that many people living with HIV still endure despite the remarkable medical advances over the past 40+ years.

“I think everybody is trying to do the right thing,” said Czarnogorski. “It’s more a matter of creating greater awareness of these micro-moments that can lead patients to self-stigmatize.” A triggering moment can be something as basic as noticing that the building you enter is labeled an HIV clinic.

The immersive experience is separated into five chapters: Fear of Disclosure, Shame, Insecurity, Humiliation, and Embarrassment. It puts healthcare professionals (HCPs) in the shoes of people living with HIV and aims to create greater awareness of stigmatizing language and behavior.

For Dr. Czarnogorski, the aha moment that led to “Chapters of Stigma” came during an interaction with one of her own patients who was living with HIV.

He said, 'I just wish everybody could walk in my shoes for one day.' That's when I started to think that maybe we could use today's digital technology to actually make that happen. These moments came up over and over again in our interactions. When you put on those VR goggles, you basically become that person and start walking through their day. You experience those micro-moments when you're interacting with others and you feel the weight of thinking you need to hide your own truth because people might look at you differently.

MAGGIE CZARNOGORSKI, MD, MPH, Head of DIGITAL INNOVATION AND IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE at ViiV Healthcare

Explore the teaser to "Chapters of Stigma" from the perspective of a person living with HIV.

While overcoming the stigma of HIV requires a collective effort among the entire health care ecosystem, we all have the ability to make a profound impact. Here are some potential ways to approach interactions with people who are living with HIV:

  • Choose your words carefully and avoid stigmatizing language.
  • Use people-first language.
  • Challenge myths and stereotypes.
  • Pass on facts.
  • Convey a positive attitude and offer support and encouragement.

“We are advancing new HIV medicines all the time,” Czarnogorski said. “But HIV stigma continues to persist. We need to keep developing technologies to improve the patient experience. We need to keep inspiring change.”

ViiV Healthcare has a long-standing history and commitment to fighting HIV stigma and discrimination that the communities most affected by HIV face. That commitment goes back to our industry-leading Positive Action initiatives, which are focused on addressing stigma and build trust in HIV care.

While science and research has provided us with the means to effectively treat and prevent HIV, we won’t stop working with the communities most vulnerable to HIV with efforts spanning innovations in HIV care services, initiatives aimed at preventing HIV, building capacity in grassroots communities and addressing HIV stigma and discrimination.

View the full to "Chapters of Stigma" trailer video to learn more.