National AIDS Trust (NAT) has partnered with digital social enterprise Reason Digital to create an online tool for people living with HIV.
Looped in offers people living with HIV in the UK trusted content developed for different audiences – from people living with HIV, to friends, sexual partners, family and medical professionals.
It also allows people living with HIV to select the content they want to share and send it to who they want to.
“NAT is known for defending the rights of people living with HIV by creating policy change but trying to fight stigma is a more complex challenge,” said Deborah Gold, chief executive of NAT.
“We know misinformation about HIV makes things hard for those with the virus, and even those who are most comfortable talking about HIV can find it difficult to challenge misconceptions sometimes.
“We also know that people living with HIV are the strongest advocates against stigma and that talking about HIV can be hugely empowering.
“Looped in will empower and enable conversations about HIV. Giving people a customisable, convenient and evolving way to educate others is part of how we aim to spread understanding.
“Developing this unique tool has been really exciting and I can’t wait to see how it is used in the real world and build on what it can do.”
Matt Haworth, co-founder of Reason Digital, added: “Looped in is a uniquely empathetic and informative platform.
“It’s been designed to break down the social bias and myths surrounding the perceptions of people living with HIV and is designed to be inspiring for a range of audiences.
“The UK is medically advanced when treating HIV, however, there is still a real social bias around the subject. Media headlines are often very negative and sensational, Looped in will contradict that and offer factual responses to medical and social questions.”