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John is an HIV activist who works tirelessly with the community, with a particular interest in developing and improving engagement with healthcare professionals. Always looking to find ways to use his and others’ experiences, his primary focus is on supporting everyone to live better with HIV.
Determined to do everything he can to combat stigma, John says: “In the past, I didn’t at first appreciate how much stigma had impacted on me. The ability to be open, out, and be able to communicate with everybody, without being afraid to talk about HIV – to normalise conversations and challenge those old myths – has been incredibly empowering for me.
“If people whose knowledge of HIV dates back to the 1980s, now get diagnosed, that will have a major impact on them – their mental health and potentially on their physical health. Often there will be a late diagnosis and they’ll be afraid to go and talk to anyone.
“So it’s really really important that we turn that on its head. I want to share the empowerment that I now feel, with other people living with HIV. It’s important that we normalise conversations around HIV, and sex in general: that’s when we’ll get rid of the stigma.”
As one of the faces of National AIDS Trust for World AIDS Day 2024, what does World AIDS Day itself signify to John?
“It’s very special. It’s an occasion to be really thankful for the fantastic progress that we’ve made over the last 40+ years, but equally, it’s really really important to remember all of my friends, and everybody’s friends – those special people who fought so hard, but who are no longer here, whose lives were cut short. So it’s a time to remember and reflect, but also to be thankful for how far we’ve come on this journey – a very important journey that is still ongoing.”
John’s advice to anyone else who wants to join the fight against HIV stigma is simple: “Whenever you hear stigmatising language, challenge it. And don’t be afraid!”