People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are regarded as infectious and so the public tends to shy away from them and make all efforts not to touch them. This leaves the HIV-positive patients to feel isolated and depressed, knowing that no one would ever want to talk to them, or even touch them in the slightest possible way.
Finnish broadcasting company Yle Kioski partnered with an HIV-positive patient, identified as Janne, for a social experiment. Janne wrote two huge signs, written in both Finnish and English, that read: "I am HIV-Positive. Touch Me!" He placed the signs behind him in a public park in Helsinki, closed his eyes and waited for anyone who would dare to take his challenge. Aside from determining the public reaction, this social experiment, according to the YouTube video description, also aims to promote HIV awareness.
At first, people exhibited mixed reactions ranging from indifferent, confused and dazzled. No one wanted to touch him. One woman, however, broke the chain of negative reactions by coming up to Janne and gently squeezing his hand. From then on, people started to either tap Janne's shoulder or touch him by the hand. To Janne's surprise, he started to receive big hugs, not only from adults but from kids as well. At the end of the social experiment, Janne could not keep his tears from falling.
HIV is a major cause of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). According to the CDC, once an individual has acquired the virus, it will stay in the body system for life.
The virus is transmitted through the direct contact of a mucous membrane with blood and body fluids such as semen, vaginal discharge and breast milk of infected persons. HIV cannot withstand the environment outside of the body, including body surfaces, and dies shortly once exposed to such areas. This means that it cannot be transmitted through casual contacts, such as a simple shaking of the hands or even sharing of dishes, the CDC states.
The video of Janne coincides with Pride Week in Helsinki. At the end of the video presentation, the makers left the viewers with a question: "Would you have touched him?"
