POZCAST: HIV UPFRONT AND OUT LOUD

Region

National

Initiative Funding

REACH, Universities Without Walls

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Primary target audience

People Living with HIV

Secondary target audience

Front-line workers, researchers, general population

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Primary target audience

People Living with HIV

Secondary target audience

Front-line workers, researchers, general population

Initiative Summary

Pozcast is a 30-minute monthly podcast production created by and for people living with HIV. Host James Watson, a person living with HIV active in the fight against HIV stigma, interviews other 'poz' people and those that support them. James and his guests explore what it means to be HIV positive, challenge the status quo, and tell stories of resiliency and hope.

Initiative Objectives and Goals

In order to help fight HIV stigma in all its forms, Pozcast was created to offer a unique platform for people living with HIV to tell real stories about issues important to them. By shining a light on what's meaningful for people living with HIV through story, conversation and debate we see more clearly how these issues impact health, lives, and work. We also get insight into possible solutions.

The Role of this Initiative to End the HIV Epidemic

HIV Stigma is based on fear, misinformation and distorted facts. It thrives in silence. Pozcast offers a platform for people living with HIV to engage in conversation and speak their truth. Podcasts are a safer and and more accessible media format that allow the audience to listen no matter where they are or what they are doing. Pozcast inspires and informs and is an important voice in the fight against HIV stigma.

Meaningful Engagement with People with Lived Experience

Pozcast was created by and for people living with HIV. Community members are interviewed in every episode by the host. Each episode takes an issue or event of importance to the community and unpacks it to inspire and spark discussion.

Strategic marketing and support tactics

Website, Social networks, Email campaign, Webinars/Seminars

Results

Pozcast Number of Listens per Episode: 786 listens: Gay Men Using Meth (Part 1) - Lust, Men and Meth: A Gay Man’s Guide to Sex and Recovery
506 listens: Gay Men Using Meth (Part 2) - Crystal Meth Anonymous: A 12-Step Recovery Program
413 listens: Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U)
378 listens: Gay Men Using Meth (Part 3) – A Harm Reduction Approach
324 listens: Poetic Justice: A Collaborative Re-telling
321 listens: HIV, Fatherhood & Fertility 258 listens: GIPA in the workplace
232 listens: Stigma Stings!
169 listens: Laughing Matters

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