The Department of Health and Human Services has launched the first series in the HIV.gov digital storytelling project, Positive Spin, focused on the real-life stories of five black gay men—a group disproportionately affected by HIV.

Creating opportunities that allow people to tell their own life stories are critically important in giving support to people at risk for, and living with, HIV. Written personal stories, in-person presentations by people living with HIV, radio dramas, and telenovelas have all been used successfully to share personal stories that can reduce stigma, decrease risk behaviors, and help people living with HIV and others to learn from the experiences of people like them.Thus, Positive Spin aims to demonstrate that people who get appropriate and continuous treatment can live well with HIV.

Please take a few moments to view some of the Positive Spin videos and share them with your colleagues and friends. Think about the stories that you, your staff, and your clients have to tell. Then get out there and start sharing them to remind people that, although we have the tools to end HIV and the desire to do so, we must get those tools to the right people in the right way to truly end the spread of HIV here and around the world.