Breaking the stigma around HIV | Vitor Bastos | TEDxPortland

In this impassioned, vulnerable talk, Vitor shares his own personal HIV journey. By leaning into the power of stories to be part of a global solution, he courageously engages the audience to join him by challenging stigmas and assumptions. Enormous strides have been made in HIV treatment, care, and prevention since the epidemic began 40 years ago. HIV was once the leading cause of death for young people, but because of scientific advances, fewer people are becoming infected with HIV, and those who do are living longer and healthier lives. Despite the advancements in HIV prevention and care, stigma and discrimination continue to stand in the way of completely stopping the spread of HIV. Vitor has devoted his life to ending stigma and stopping the spread, once and for all. Vitor was part of a historic 7,000+ attendee Year 10 experience. After three reschedules due to the Pandemic, our Core Organizing Team persevered through 1,164 days of planning and execution to produce the event for Portland, OR. ****** With special thanks to the University of Oregon for presenting partnership, a world class stage design provided by Meyer Pro Inc, an incredible legacy bound Event Book provided by Premier Press and to the creative digital craft provided by Enjoy the Weather & Victory Creative. All of our Partners and event history can be found at TEDxPortland.com An experimentalist by nature, Vitor defies the boundaries of design through his work. He has been featured on runways, in exhibitions, and in print in over ten countries. But when he received a health diagnosis he didn’t expect, he began to imagine a whole new way of living. He began to question which parts of himself he was hiding to fit in - particularly how his identity led to self-confidence or self-shaming. Today, Vitor leads by example with empathy-inspired strategies to design systems and campaigns that highlight the beauty - and complexity - found in humanity. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx