From stigma to solutions: Youth and communities driving the HIV response

HIV is a virus, but it does not define who a person is or what they can achieve.

- CHRISTIAN HALAAS LYSTER

“It isa virus, but it does not define who a person is or what they can achieve. Treat people with kindness and love — this is the freest and most powerful thing we can offer.” — Anonymous, PWH (person with HIV)

HIV remains a crisis too often whispered about but rarely confronted. This silence has a cost: in the Philippines, new HIV infections have increased by 550 percent from 2010 to 2024, the steepest rise in Southeast Asia. Silence perpetuates stigma and keeps young people from seeking information, screening and treatment. This crisis requires an urgent and collective response.

I learned that the public discussion in the country leans towards moral judgment rather than science and health. Young people grow up without reproductive health education. Adults hesitate to buy or use condoms and people with HIV are judged rather than supported and given access to care. This results in a prevention gap where infection rates move faster than catch-up treatment programs. Treatment is more costly than prevention measures that should be universally learned.