Words by Gary Pargeter, Service Manager at Lunch Positive
Tuesday, 21 July marks Zero HIV Stigma Day, a global initiative uniting people and communities to raise awareness of HIV and take action to eliminate HIV stigma in all its forms.
This year’s local theme for Zero HIV Stigma Day is Communities and Collaboration. So, in the spirit of this theme, Brighton & Hove is marking the day by bringing together communities for a stage event in Jubilee Square, Brighton on 21 July from 1-2pm.
Everyone is welcome to this event and can hear the experiences of people living with HIV from Terrence Higgins Trust Positive Voices and how we can all change negative narratives about living with HIV today. The event will be hosted by Mary O’Kart, “the look queen” and performance artist.
Lunch Positive is coordinating the event and will be providing information about the event and local services and offering free food and drink for people attending, there will be Stigma Warriors from the Sussex Beacon and representatives from Brighton & Hove City Council and University Hospitals Sussex giving updates on HIV in Brighton & Hove. We are fortunate to have the Rainbow Chorus performing again this year throughout the event.
HIV continues to be a manageable, treatable health condition and most people living with HIV have a normal life expectancy. In Brighton & Hove, at the end of the year 2025, 95% people with HIV were already diagnosed, 99% were on antiretroviral treatment and 99% have an undetectable viral load that means they cannot pass on HIV to their partners.
This is reflective of the extensive collaborative efforts of HIV services across the city and we are proud of the hard work, innovation and dedication that has got us to this point. There are a number of ongoing projects on HIV testing, PreP, prevention and supporting people with HIV to remain engaged in treatment and care. But we need to do more as a city and a community reduce the experiences of HIV stigma for people living with HIV in all settings.
HIV stigma can hurt more than HIV itself and we know that stigma prevents some people having an HIV test or from accessing essential treatment and care. HIV stigma and discrimination leads to loneliness and isolation and negatively impacts on quality of life and participation in society.
The Positive Voices 2022 survey report highlighted that 45% of those surveyed felt ashamed of their HIV status and 30% reported low self-esteem. We need to change this. We want to see a city where people living with HIV feel they are treated the same as any person with any long-term condition.
As the UK’s first HIV Fast Track City, Brighton & Hove is proud to be only city that publicly marks Zero HIV Stigma day as part of its ‘Towards Zero HIV’ strategy. This project is delivered in partnership, involving people living with HIV and a host of organisations including Brighton & Hove City Council, voluntary sector organisations, community groups and NHS services.
By 2030, our goal is to achieve:
ZERO-HIV stigma
ZERO-new HIV infections
ZERO-deaths from HIV
We can only eliminate stigma if we all act and collaborate together. We invite everyone in Brighton & Hove to join in the activities, circulate on social media and be part of becoming the first Zero HIV Stigma city! Please come and show your support in Jubilee Square at 1-2pm on Monday, 21 July.
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