GENEVA, 2 September 2025—From 1 to 30 September, a series of UNAIDS posters is on exhibit in Geneva along the Lac Leman. The posters dispel many of the mistruths about HIV and AIDS. While many people think they may be well-informed about the virus, in reality many misconceptions continue to circulate. Forty years after the first cases of HIV were identified, misinformation, stigma and discrimination still persist. Worse still, the information gap is widening, particularly among young people who are often most affected by HIV.

“Today, people often find themselves drowning in information, but many are still not necessarily better informed about HIV,” said Christine Stegling, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director. “This exhibit is designed to enlighten viewers about the current realities of HIV in the hope that they will learn how to protect themselves and be willing to support people living with HIV with more compassion.”

In 2024, UNAIDS estimates that there were 1.3 million new HIV infections - that’s 3 500 people newly infected with the virus every day. And although more than three quarters of the 40.8 million people living with HIV are on treatment, every minute, a person died of AIDS-related causes in 2024. In addition, people living with HIV still experience stigma and discrimination which prevents them from accessing HIV services. This includes treatment which stops transmission of the virus and keeps people alive and well. By knowing the facts and dispelling the myths, we can help break down the stigma and ensure that everyone feels safe to access HIV services, free from discrimination.

“HIV is preventable and, with treatment, people living with HIV stay healthy and cannot transmit the virus yet new infections still occur,” said Professor Alexandra Calmy, head of the infectious disease HIV unit at Hôpital de Genève (HUG.) “Campaigns like this remain essential, here and everywhere, to raise awareness and fight stigma.”

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, has put together this exhibition to dispel some of the myths around HIV and encourage people to know the facts, get tested and protect themselves against HIV.

"Sadly, there are still cases of discrimination against people living with HIV in Geneva and Switzerland," said Rocco Senatore, Director of the People living with HIV (PVA) network. “Many still ignore some of the basic facts about HIV thus the importance of such awareness campaigns."

The poster exhibit supported by the Ville de Genève will run until the end of the month in Geneva at the Rotonde du Mont-Blanc.

UNAIDS

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at unaids.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.