Why is this work relevant for PR?

The stigma of HIV has always been present in society. As a result, people living with HIV often face discrimination - one particular instance is in the sperm donor industry, where men living with HIV are rejected as sperm donors, despite the science showing that it can be safe. Our campaign created a global conversation about the reality of HIV, showing people that when treated the virus cannot be passed on. It also gave people living with HIV the opportunity to do something many never thought they would get the chance to do because of the discrimination they face - create life.

Background

Since 1981, HIV has been a death sentence. Medical advancements have changed that – and now, with treatment, HIV becomes undetectable in the body and cannot be passed on, even through unprotected sex, bodily fluid, or childbirth. But because most people don't know this, the stigma of HIV has never changed, and with the LGBTQ+ community being heavily impacted by HIV, this stigma has led to their alienation and discrimination in society. For World AIDS Day 2019, the New Zealand AIDS Foundation needed an idea that would fight the stigma of HIV to help change the way people living with HIV are seen in society. We needed the campaign to have a big impact on a very small budget and create a new conversation about the truth of HIV. So, we did the unthinkable – we created the world’s first sperm bank for HIV-positive sperm donors.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

To show the world that HIV cannot be passed on, we created Sperm Positive: The World’s First HIV-Positive Sperm Bank. The online sperm bank gave men living with HIV the opportunity to join and become sperm donors, it gave women the opportunity to register as recipients, and allowed us to create a PR-led conversation that would show the world that HIV cannot be passed on in the most undeniable way possible – childbirth.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

The stigma of HIV still exists all over the world – it’s a hugely polarizing topic. So, we leaned into the problem to ensure we could create a conversation topic that would make a big impact on a very small budget. By creating a sperm bank for HIV-positive sperm donors, we were able to create a campaign that shocked and educated people all over the world. It confronted people with something they had never seen before, and something they couldn’t help but talk about. It also allowed us to reach out to our community of men and women living with HIV, so we could share their stories and let them be a part of tackling the stigma of HIV.

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

We used World AIDS Day 2019 to launch Sperm Positive, opening our online sperm bank with an online video that called for donors and recipients to register. Our sperm bank shared information about how that when treated, HIV cannot be passed on and allowed them to join. Our call for donors and recipients was quickly picked up by media all over the world, sharing our key message, and generating a global conversation about the reality of HIV.

List the results (30% of vote)

Sperm Positive instantly created a global conversation about the reality of HIV. Within a week, 94 countries shared our story, as we managed to reach an audience of over 1.8 billion. Now, Sperm Positive isn't just changing beliefs - it's changing lives. To date, 4 babies are due in 2021, 32 women have registered as recipients, 27 HIV-positive sperm donors have joined. And at 9:10am on January 19th, 2021, our first mother went into labour - the first birth from an HIV-positive sperm bank. Our campaign has changed behaviors in a way few thought was possible - it has seen people not only begin to accept people living with HIV, but to accept them as sperm donors to have a child with.