The Positive Advice podcast: International stories from young people living with HIV
We’re very excited to launch six-part podcast series Positive Advice this week, putting young people at the centre of the conversation around living with HIV. We bring together experts, health professionals and young people to share their truth through frank conversation.
Each episode takes a deep dive into a theme such as family, mental health, and education. We hear clips from young people living with HIV which are pertinent to this theme, all recorded at the International AIDS Conference in Montreal last year and representing a huge variety of experiences and nationalities. Other themes include HIV activism, healthcare and treatment, and relationships.
“I did not accept my HIV diagnosis at the beginning. I literally ran marathons to run away from it.”
This was shared by one contributor. Another added: “I don’t try to hide anymore. When I was young, I used to hide my medication, but now I just let it lie on the table.”
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Our host, Eli Fitzgerald, CEO Amanda Ely, and guest experts then delve into the stories shared and the issues they raise, including input from young people at Chiva. It’s honest chat and insights into the diverse lives of young people and their shared experiences around HIV. The podcast also discusses what is needed for young people to live well with HIV and could give those working in HIV health and support services a valuable understanding of what these young people need.
Listen, follow, or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. With special thanks to podcast producers TBI Media.
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The Positively Spoken project
The recordings in Montreal are part of Chiva’s Positively Spoken oral history project. We stationed ourselves at the International AIDS Conference, collecting recordings from young people living with HIV. These recordings add to a library of experiences already recorded from those growing up with HIV in the UK, archiving these stories for the future.
Many of the stories of those featured in TV series It’s a Sin come from this same archive. Positively Spoken is an effort to also collect the stories of those growing up with HIV, a collaboration with the British Library and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Find out more about Positively Spoken and listen to voice clips here.
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