Beyond the Red Ribbon: Why the Conversation on HIV/AIDS Still Matters in 2025

Every year, December 1st comes with its familiar symbol — a simple red ribbon pinned to chests, timelines, and billboards across the world. But beyond the colour and the campaigns, World AIDS Day remains a reminder of something far deeper: the work is not done. The truth is this: despite the progress, HIV is not gone. According to UNAIDS, millions still live with the virus worldwide — including over a million Nigerians. But it is also true that HIV today is not what it used to be. People living with the virus, when placed on treatment, can live long, healthy, full lives. Treatment makes the virus undetectable — and undetectable means untransmittable. Science has given us hope, but society must catch up. And that’s where the real problem lies. We have created so much fear around HIV that many people would rather die in silence than walk into a testing center. Young people are still having sex but pretending not to. Couples are living together without ever getting tested. Families whisper instead of support. Employers discriminate quietly. And people living with HIV — mothers, creatives, drivers, CEOs, students — are still treated as if their diagnosis defines the entirety of their identity. HIV is not a moral failure. It is not a death sentence. It is not a curse. It is a medical condition — one that can be managed with treatment, responsibility, and support. We must evolve past the shame-based conversations that have trapped us for decades. The new era of HIV awareness demands honesty, empathy, and education. Here’s what I believe must change: 1. Testing must become normal. Not something done only when we’re scared. Not something tied to judgment. Just another part of taking care of our bodies, the same way we check our blood pressure or sugar levels. 2. Young people need real sexual education. Not harsh lectures. Not abstinence-only speeches. Actual information. Tools. Guidance. Safety. 3. People living with HIV deserve dignity. Their privacy. Their opportunities. Their relationships. Their careers. Stigma kills faster than any virus, and it is time we put an end to it. 4. Media must keep the conversation alive. We cannot talk about HIV only on December 1st. The platforms we have should inform — not intimidate. World AIDS Day is not a memorial. It is a call to action — a reminder that we are responsible for the world we create and the communities we shape. So here is my message: Know your status. Protect yourself. Protect others. Show compassion. And let knowledge, not fear, guide you. Because the fight against HIV/AIDS is not just medical — it is cultural. It is emotional. It is societal. And until we remove shame from the conversation, we cannot remove the virus from our world. We owe each other truth. We owe each other safety. We owe each other care. And we owe ourselves the courage to keep talking — today, tomorrow, and long after the ribbons are removed.