This poster is HIV-positive. The people who read it are instantly touched.
Information truly is the cure for ignorance. That's why each one of these posters comes with a single drop of dried blood.
Don't have time to watch the full video? Here's a little recap:
They're not just living with HIV. They're also living with the stigma of HIV.
According to the World Health Organization, at the end of 2013 close to 35 million people were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Thankfully, numerous medical advancements now allow people with the virus to continue living normal, happy lives. But there are still tons of people who are confused about how the virus is transmitted. And for HIV-positive folks like Micaela, that can lead to some pretty painful encounters.
All images via Ogilvy Brazil.
A powerful ad campaign is changing how people think about HIV by putting the virus right in front of them.
In the golden age of social media, some might consider a poster campaign outdated. But these posters, designed by Ogilvy Brazil for the NGO Life Support Group (GIV), have something a little different. Each one comes with a tiny drop of blood.
"My measurements are 40 by 60 centimeters. I was printed on high brightness paper. And my weight is 250 grams. I'm just like any other poster. Except for one thing: I'm HIV positive. It's exactly what you've just read. I'm living with the virus. At this point you may be taking a step back, wondering if I offer any danger." — The HIV-Positive Poster
But the beauty of this project is that it taps into the discomfort the reader might be feeling at the prospect of even looking at a piece of paper carrying HIV. Dr. Artur Kalichman, the coordinator for the São Paulo AIDS Program, not only shoots down those fears but proves why this campaign is so important.
"The poster is completely harmless. The blood has already dried. The HIV can't survive long outside the human body. Because of the treatment, the blood of the volunteers can't infect anyone. Besides ... HIV is not transmitted by poster." — Dr. Artur Kalichman
Once the posters hit the streets of São Paulo, the impact was felt almost immediately.
As people interacted with the posters throughout the city, something wonderful began to happen. People reached out and touched the poster, going straight for the drop of dried blood. One man even kissed the poster, sharing, "I felt love for this person I don't even know." But by far the most powerful moment is seeing how people respond when given the chance to meet the HIV-positive people behind each drop of blood.
And, look, I know it's cliche to say this moment had me in tears, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't.
The HIV-positive poster is forcing people to confront their prejudice for real.
The above video ends with one simple but important quote: "If prejudice is an illness, information is the cure." Thankfully, innovative campaigns from organizations like GIV and Ogilvy Brazil are providing just that. While researchers continue to search for a cure, it's up to us to educate ourselves and each other to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and offer proper support to those living with the illness. For more ways to keep yourself safe and informed, check out WebMD's Top 10 Myths and Misconceptions About HIV/AIDs.



A Generation Jones teenager poses in her room.Image via Wikmedia Commons
An office kitchen.via
An angry man eating spaghetti.via 
Gif of baby being baptized
Woman gives toddler a bath Canva


An Irish woman went to the doctor for a routine eye exam. She left with bright neon green eyes.
It's not easy seeing green.
Did she get superpowers?
Going to the eye doctor can be a hassle and a pain. It's not just the routine issues and inconveniences that come along when making a doctor appointment, but sometimes the various devices being used to check your eyes' health feel invasive and uncomfortable. But at least at the end of the appointment, most of us don't look like we're turning into The Incredible Hulk. That wasn't the case for one Irish woman.
Photographer Margerita B. Wargola was just going in for a routine eye exam at the hospital but ended up leaving with her eyes a shocking, bright neon green.
At the doctor's office, the nurse practitioner was prepping Wargola for a test with a machine that Wargola had experienced before. Before the test started, Wargola presumed the nurse had dropped some saline into her eyes, as they were feeling dry. After she blinked, everything went yellow.
Wargola and the nurse initially panicked. Neither knew what was going on as Wargola suddenly had yellow vision and radioactive-looking green eyes. After the initial shock, both realized the issue: the nurse forgot to ask Wargola to remove her contact lenses before putting contrast drops in her eyes for the exam. Wargola and the nurse quickly removed the lenses from her eyes and washed them thoroughly with saline. Fortunately, Wargola's eyes were unharmed. Unfortunately, her contacts were permanently stained and she didn't bring a spare pair.
- YouTube youtube.com
Since she has poor vision, Wargola was forced to drive herself home after the eye exam wearing the neon-green contact lenses that make her look like a member of the Green Lantern Corps. She couldn't help but laugh at her predicament and recorded a video explaining it all on social media. Since then, her video has sparked a couple Reddit threads and collected a bunch of comments on Instagram:
“But the REAL question is: do you now have X-Ray vision?”
“You can just say you're a superhero.”
“I would make a few stops on the way home just to freak some people out!”
“I would have lived it up! Grab a coffee, do grocery shopping, walk around a shopping center.”
“This one would pair well with that girl who ate something with turmeric with her invisalign on and walked around Paris smiling at people with seemingly BRIGHT YELLOW TEETH.”
“I would save those for fancy special occasions! WOW!”
“Every time I'd stop I'd turn slowly and stare at the person in the car next to me.”
“Keep them. Tell people what to do. They’ll do your bidding.”
In a follow-up Instagram video, Wargola showed her followers that she was safe at home with normal eyes, showing that the damaged contact lenses were so stained that they turned the saline solution in her contacts case into a bright Gatorade yellow. She wasn't mad at the nurse and, in fact, plans on keeping the lenses to wear on St. Patrick's Day or some other special occasion.
While no harm was done and a good laugh was had, it's still best for doctors, nurses, and patients alike to double-check and ask or tell if contact lenses are being worn before each eye test. If not, there might be more than ultra-green eyes to worry about.