People urged to be Ready to Talk and Ready to Listen on Irish Aids Day

This Irish AIDS Day (Monday, 15 June) the Poz Vibe Tribe, together with the HSE, is urging people to be Ready to Talk and Ready to Listen to the stories of loss around HIV and AIDS that may have gone untold because of stigma or shame.

This message aims to build on the positive impact of the HSE’s You, Me & HIV campaign. Launched last year, the campaign has seen a notable decline in discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV - from 54% in November 2024 to 49% at the end of 2025. More people reported feeling comfortable with family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues living with HIV - a continuing positive trend. 

HIV activists, and Poz Vibe Tribe podcast creators Enda McGrattan, also known as drag star Veda Lady, and Robbie Lawlor, know the importance of breaking down the stigma of our HIV history.

Veda said; “We want those of us living with HIV to be able to continue to accept our status and move forward and thrive without shame or stigma. It is important to try and dismantle the shame of the past by freeing these stories today. My cousin died of AIDS related illness at the age of 18 in 1985, but I wasn’t told that until three years ago at a beloved family member’s funeral. I myself struggled to share my HIV diagnosis with my family and friends for ten years. I regret that; it was a mistake. The stigma silenced me when I would have benefited from a hug and sometimes, a shoulder to cry on the most.

This Irish AIDS Day, people are being asked to get Ready to Talk about the stories they’ve hidden and packed away, and that we as a society are Ready to Listen with empathy and understanding. We encourage people to put down the phone, turn off the TV, take a deep breath, look the person in the eye, listen without prejudice, and anywhere you hear a note of shame, answer it with love. There is nothing to be ashamed of in living with HIV or in dying of AIDS.

At Poz Vibe Tribe, we are on a mission to do everything we can to eradicate HIV acquisitions, and the only way to do that is by breaking down stigma so people are getting tested, getting treated and knowing their status so they don’t pass it on. By dismantling the shame that many of our families have carried around for years, we can’t move forward without looking back.”

Robbie said; “On Irish AIDS Day we think about those who have died and mourn their loss. We also look to the future and how we can honour their memory by trying to achieve our 2030 goals of zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths and ultimately zero stigma and discrimination. We can only do that by facing up to our history, talking to each other and being ready to listen to stories from the past and present that may surprise us, and inspire us to look at things in a different way.

“Traditionally, Irish AIDS Day has been a day to remember those who have died from HIV and AIDS. However, historically, the reason that many of these deaths were never spoken about in detail or disclosed due to the shame that was attached to the ‘killer disease’ as it was then known. Up until the early 90’s, everyone who acquired HIV developed AIDS and died, with a life expectancy for someone living with HIV approximately 12-18 months.”

Professor Fiona Lyons, National Clinical Lead, HSE Sexual Health Programme said; “On Irish AIDS Day, we pause to remember those we have lost and the stories that may have gone untold. Today, with advancements in medicine, people living with HIV can live long and happy lives. However, this wasn’t always the case. Working together, we can help break the stigma surrounding what was once a much-feared diagnosis. We are asking people to be Ready to Talk and Ready to Listen to those living with HIV.”

HIV Fact Check

• HIV, regardless of whether or not a person is on treatment, is not passed on from kissing, or from using the same cups, plates, forks or toilet seats. You can’t get HIV from shaking someone’s hand or giving them a hug.
• People on effective treatment cannot pass HIV to sexual partners. When a person living with HIV is on effective treatment, the viral load is so low that it is not detected in their blood. This is often referred to as 'undetectable' equals 'untransmittable' (U=U).
• People living with HIV on effective treatment can have healthy pregnancies and go on to deliver healthy babies without passing on the virus. Effective treatment in pregnancy prevents infection in babies. HIV is not a reason to avoid pregnancy.
• HIV and AIDS are not the same thing. HIV is a virus that attacks the human immune system weakens its ability to fight infection and disease. AIDS describes the group of illnesses that you can get in the late stage of HIV infection. Most people with HIV will not develop AIDS-related illnesses because of the advancements in treatments.
• With effective treatment, those living with HIV can go on to live a long, and healthy life.