The Positive Effect is a movement powered by people living with HIV and the people and communities supporting them, and is based on facts, evidence and lived experience. Our collective vision is to effectively end Canada's HIV epidemic by 2025.

To get there, we’re devising, developing and deploying innovative technologies across digital and social space to confront and openly talk about HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and create the opportunity and spaces for people to join in and share their stories. At the same time, we're exploring, innovating and acting on effective new ways and ideas to boost access to testing and care.

In this age of misinformation and disinformation, the fear and distorted facts about how HIVis transmitted, and what it means to live with HIV still grip us and continue to feed the insidious path to stigma. Ultimately, stigma blocks access to HIV testing and treatment services, making transmission of the virus more likely. 

So, by creating and nurturing opportunities –– the spaces, services, tech applications and more ––the goal is to give each and every person a chance and the permission to open their heart and soul to show who they are, while being supported by a large like-minded community. Actively and boldly confronting HIV stigma together will go a long way toward ending the HIV epidemic. 

Our mission: to imaginatively and organically reach across cultures and media

In this hyper-self-obsessed era where insta-content endlessly ripples across the web, it’s all about embracing empathy, humility and emotion. Openly and freely sharing stories of lived experience, knowledge and insight will help us cut through the clutter. 

Our mission is to imaginatively and organically reach out –– in conversations, art, street and environment, video, news media and social communities. This is where we’ll debunk misinformation and myths about HIV, share information and insight, spark dialogue and make meaningful connections –– and ultimately trigger action. 

A blank canvas to create, express, connect and share…

With The Positive Effect we’re confronting and openly talking about HIV-related stigma and discrimination on our own terms, and as James talks about below, creating the space for everyone and anyone to join in.

Check out a couple of current, creative stories of resilience –– Tim’s is a visually trippy video journey of living beautifully with HIV, while the narrators of Because She Cares: The anthology, discuss their collection of poetry arranged on themes significant to African, Caribbean and Black women living with HIV and working in the HIV response.

Whether you're a person living with HIV or personally touched by the community or system in some way, your story matters. Empowering, inspiring, even potentially disturbing, your story can inspire and encourage others. It can shift people's mindsets, helping to snuff out the fear and misperception about what it means to live with HIV.

This is your blank canvas –– simply write a story or something more abstract. Feel free to create an image, artwork or photograph, a video or audio file. Whichever you choose, you don’t need to be a professional writer, videographer, photographer or artist to share your story. The final story piec will be in your words, but following your submission an editorial team may be in touch with you to help bring your story to life for the world to experience!