Scotland's landmark HIV awareness campaign breaks 40-year silence

In a significant development, a woman who has been living with HIV for seven years welcomes an overdue television campaign aimed at raising awareness about the virus. Scotland is set to broadcast a major TV ad on HIV for the first time in four decades, breaking a long silence since the UK government's "Don't Die Of Ignorance" campaign featuring falling tombstones in the 1980s.

Scheduled to debut at 7.58 pm on STV, this campaign represents a marked departure from the past. Unlike the bleak messaging of the 1980s, which portrayed HIV as a "deadly disease" with no known treatment, this TV commercial will remind viewers that persons infected with the virus may live healthy and happy lives.

Emma McAnally, a 34-year-old Glasgow resident who was diagnosed with HIV in 2016, hopes that her campaign will help others dealing with their HIV diagnosis. She describes her first shock: "When I was diagnosed with HIV in 2016, I was in total disbelief because I thought this was something that would never affect me." She went on to emphasize the importance of medical care in allowing her to live a normal, healthy life and preventing the virus from spreading to others. Emma believes that it's not the virus but the stigma that has been the most significant challenge after her diagnosis.


The TV ad will be part of a comprehensive campaign that includes billboards, newspapers, and online platforms. This initiative is backed by research funded by the Scottish government and conducted by YouGov, aimed at understanding public attitudes and beliefs about HIV. The Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK's leading HIV and sexual health charity, is responsible for producing the campaign.

The core message of this campaign is to underline that stigma is more harmful than the virus itself. Richard Angell, the Chief Executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, reflects on the 1980s government AIDS awareness ad, acknowledging its role in saving lives but also its unintended consequence of terrifying a generation about HIV. He emphasizes the need to update public knowledge about the significant progress made in the battle against HIV over the past 40 years and hopes that this new campaign will motivate millions to learn the facts about HIV and dispel any misconceptions. The goal is to raise awareness that individuals living with HIV can lead fulfilling lives free from discrimination and stigma.