In this age of distraction from all angles, there are all sorts of ways that charities and health organisations try their best to get people to pay attention to important information.
However, Britain’s leading HIV and sexual health charity Terence Higgins Trust has gone a step further by launching an innovative scheme to help end HIV stigma in black communities, with a series of interactive, informative short films.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O1QRr7MaIQ
Titled #TheirStoryYourChoice, the project wants viewers to watch a series of short films before being prompted to make choices for the characters, as they navigate the dilemmas of living with HIV. For Mary (played by Akiya Henry) and Thomas (played by Patrick Robinson), they battle with questions such as ‘When is the right time to tell your partner you have HIV?’ and ‘How often should you test for HIV?’ – and with the viewers’ help, we see whether their relationship can survive or not. With unexpected twists and some surprising results, you’ll definitely learn something along the way.
Recent research shows that HIV stigma continues to be a major barrier to testing, treatment and disclosure in black African communities in the UK. With Black African women accounting for 39% of all heterosexual people diagnosed with HIV in 2017 (Public Health England, 2017), an understanding of HIV is definitely necessary. Hopefully, the films will also encourage HIV testing – as 69% of Black African heterosexual men were diagnosed late (Public Health England, 2017).
To create the films, Terrence Higgins Trust and the production company engaged people living with HIV from black African communities throughout the process, using focus groups and via consultancy involvement of HIV activist Bakita Kasadha who is living with HIV. African people not living with HIV were also consulted.
Ms Kasadha said: ‘The stories are very real and they are very human. I chose to be involved in this film project because it speaks truth to the everyday experiences of black people living with HIV.
‘These stories will be met with a range of reactions and emotions, but most importantly I hope that you’ll learn something new and that you’ll be pleasantly surprised. There are lessons to be learned on all sides, whether you know your HIV status (and you are HIV+ or negative) or do not know your HIV status yet.’
Tune into the first one above – it shows a discussion between Thomas, who has spent some days off sick from work, and his frustrated partner Mary, who urges him to go to the doctor to get to the bottom of his mystery illness…
