Cartoons tackling HIV stigma and misinformation in Italy
Italian activists have launched a new information campaign called “HIV, let’s talk about it”. The series of six cartoons aim to educate and inform the public on the topic of HIV & AIDS.
Each cartoon in the series focuses on a different topic related to stigma, homophobia, HIV transmission, misinformation, condom use and testing. The main purpose of the new campaign, according to Redattore Sociale, is to inform the public about HIV and to reduce transmission. The cartoons are being displayed as posters, as internet graphics and as videos on regional YouTube channels.
The creators of the campaign say that there is still a long way to go when it comes to HIV knowledge amongst the general public, so it is necessary to remain vigilant: "more than half of people [in Italy] find that they have HIV only when it is too late".
This, according to the campaign’s creators, is due to the fact that HIV is talked about too little and not always accurately, because "there is still fear, together with very stubborn stereotypes".
The purpose of the “HIV, let's talk about it” campaign is to further counter disinformation about the risks, prevention and opportunities for early diagnosis and treatment.