HIV in Latvia remains a heavily stigmatised diagnosis, which discourages people from getting tested and seeking treatment. There is a lack of visible examples and lived-experience stories of people living with HIV; for most of society, these individuals remain invisible. As a result, awareness is low and myths and stigma continue to persist.
To change this, we created HIViņš — a fictional yet lifelike and recognisable Instagram influencer who represents more than 6,000 people in Latvia living with HIV. His mission is to normalise HIV as a manageable health condition, encourage testing and reduce stigma.
Through personal storytelling, interactive Q&A sessions and collaboration with experts, HIViņš helped make HIV more visible and easier to understand. Within six months, the campaign exceeded expectations — audience reach and engagement increased, as did the number of followers of the HIViņš Instagram profile. Audience response proved one thing: silence fuels stigma, while open stories have the power to change it.
The project was developed and delivered in partnership with the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline and the non-governmental organisation AGIHAS, a support association for people living with HIV.
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