At 23 years old, Jason Richards has taken on the role of advocating for decreased stigmatisation for persons living with HIV/AIDS, after being diagnosed with the disease more than five years ago.

"My family, friends, everybody who I don't know, they all support me in what I do," said Richards, a new face of the Ministry of Health's anti-stigma campaign.

Richards was speaking yesterday during the launch of World AIDS Day and the 'Yes You Can Anti-Stigma Campaign' at Jamaica House.

He noted that it has been a bumpy journey with many ups and downs, as he has moved from taking 12 pills a day to three. With support from family and friends, he is now at greater heights and encourages his friends to practise safe sex and get tested.

Barriers looming large

Lovette Byfield, director of HIV planning, said the search to find new faces for the campaign highlighted the fact that "the barriers of stigma and discrimination were still looming large".

She said individuals were interested but the consequences and challenges for them, as well as family and friends, prevented them from joining.

However, Rosemarie Stone, the female face for the new anti-stigma campaign, took up the challenge. She told the audience that she responded positively without reservation when she was approached.

"I wanted to be part of any project that would make an HIV-infected person like myself feel a little better about living in society," she said.

Awareness advertisements

Stone, widow of pollster Carl Stone, who disclosed her HIV status through her book, No Stone Unturned, which was launched in 2007, said she hoped the campaign would give her an opportunity to reach a wider audience. Stone and Richards are featured in advertisements aimed at increasing the focus on decreasing the level of stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS.

Ainsley Reid, one of the recent faces of the HIV campaign, told The Gleaner he was diagnosed in 1992 and had been speaking on the issue even before he worked on the educational campaign from 2006 to this year.

"The response has been tremendous, I am really encouraged," he said.

While there have been difficult moments with those who are ignorant of the virus, the founder of Jamaica network of people living with HIV uses these as teachable moments.

kimesha.walters@gleanerjm.com