HIV stigma refers to negative attitudes, behaviors, and judgments toward people living with HIV. Stigma remains a significant challenge to ending the national HIV epidemic, as it discourages people from seeking treatment and staying in care.

Having already launched a new identity for Beat HIV Tarrant County, the local agency responsible for administering HIV care, Belmont was the perfect partner to create an anti-stigma campaign.

The “Shut Down the Shame” campaign featured real people living with HIV in Tarrant County who shared stories of overcoming stigma in their own lives. The centerpiece of the effort was a dedicated landing page within the Beat HIV website that offered tips for standing up to stigma, personal stigma stories, and links to educational resources.

By encouraging people to “quit being negative about being positive,” we helped North Texans get the facts about HIV while empowering them to stand up against HIV stigma.