# “It’s Okay”: Addressing HIV Stigma in Thailand A media campaign to reduce stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS among young male adolescents in Thailand. November 10, 2022 The "It's Okay" campaign aims to reduce the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS, particularly among adolescent men who have sex with men (MSM) in Thailand. Stigma often is the only barrier that keeps Thai individuals from utilizing the excellent HIV services in the country such as free HIV prevention, testing, and treatment. The campaign will focus on the personal stories of seven male adolescents documenting their own experiences with HIV. Campaign products include posters and online advertisements, which will be supplemented by a website detailing the stories of all seven individuals and links to educational resources. The campaign will run in various cities in Thailand for six months in cooperation with local NGOs and city governments. ## Artist Fabian Koenig (2022) ![Closeup of adolescent male face.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/gheli/files/koenigfabian_hiv1.jpg?itok=Z0si8078) ![Male adolescent holding a book.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/gheli/files/koenigfabian_hiv2.jpg?itok=SpzXr72D) ![Female with arm around male adolescent's shoulder.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/gheli/files/koenigfabian_hiv3.jpg?itok=vVkk3uVj) ![Three female adolescents in a huddle with male adolescent.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/gheli/files/koenigfabian_hiv4.jpg?itok=UATP2Gyn) ![Closeup of adolescent male face.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/gheli/files/koenigfabian_hiv5.jpg?itok=GL-Q4nuj) ![Male adolescent's arm around another male adolescent's shoulder.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/gheli/files/koenigfabian_hiv6.jpg?itok=QidVPjVL) ![Closeup of adolescent male face.](/sites/g/files/omnuum10866/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/gheli/files/koenigfabian_hiv7.jpg?itok=c6Z6QZiU) [Learn More About the “It’s Okay”: Addressing HIV Stigma in Thailand Campaign](https://express.adobe.com/page/W8qLdC40DVYTG/) [View “It’s Okay”: Addressing HIV Stigma in Thailand Website](https://express.adobe.com/page/saXi9wUeQFYMn/) ## Artist Lens The posters were designed to include a central message, beginning with the words "It's okay." Each message is associated with a person who could even be considered a role model to make it more memorable and recognizable. Beyond pictures, peer characteristics were emphasized by including the name and age, as well as a short sentence describing their relation to HIV. Each poster also includes a call to action, i.e., a short description why the depicted behavior is helpful and what the audience should do (e.g., get tested). In addition, two hashtags (#it'sokay, #fightHIVstigma) are included to simplify sharing these messages on social media. The messages cover various facets of HIV preventative actions, advocating for the conventional actions associated with stigma of testing, treatment, and protection with Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), but also other aspects compromised by stigma, like sharing an HIV diagnosis with friends or family. The personal narratives are supposed to depict an alternative reality with reduced stigma to instill courage and reduce fear. It thereby hopes to increase the uptake of services, reduce new HIV infections in the population of adolescent MSM and potentially beyond, and increase treatment adherence. All people depicted on these posters only serve as a template for the actual campaign, which should feature real people. Portraits were cartoonized to portray individuals in a more abstract way, making them more generalizable to the overall society. The materials were translated to make them more approachable to the target audience. The stories are purely fictional and, again, should be real for the actual campaign. The list of resources on the website is not comprehensive and should only be an inspiration for structuring a central repository as part of such a campaign. ## Media Digital [Download “It’s Okay”: Addressing HIV Stigma in Thailand PDF](/file_url/688) See also:- [ Sexual & Reproductive Health ](/topics/sexual-reproductive-health) - [ Poster ](/type/poster) - [ Website ](/type/website) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)