Brief exposure to culturally tailored social media videos reduced HIV-related stigma immediately after viewing among young adults in Peru, with influencer-led content showing the strongest effect . The reductions were modest in absolute terms, and durability beyond immediate post-viewing assessment remains unknown.
HIV-related stigma remains a significant barrier to prevention and treatment uptake, particularly among young adults in regions where stigma around the virus persists. The researchers hypothesized that social media, combined with trusted local voices, could serve as an efficient channel to shift attitudes. The study tested this by randomizing 567 young adults in Lima, Peru (median age 21 years, 53% male) to view one of four stigma-reduction videos or a control video embedded in a simulated social media feed.
The videos varied by creator: one featured a top Peruvian social media influencer, while the others featured young adult residents filmed in recognizable Lima locations. Stigma was measured using the Bogardus social distance scale, a validated tool that assesses willingness to interact with people living with HIV across increasing levels of social proximity (from casual contact to close family relations). Scores were analyzed both using standard methods and intensity-based approaches.
At baseline, median stigma scores were low across all arms (median of 1 on the Bogardus scale), indicating relatively modest stigma in the sample overall. The control group showed no meaningful change post-viewing (median change of 0). The influencer-led content (Arm 1) produced the largest shift, with a median change of 0 but a notably different distribution: the fifth to 95th percentile range was -6 to 0, compared to controls at -1 to 2 (p = 0.001). Three other arms (Arm 2, 3, and 4) also showed statistically significant reductions relative to control (p = 0.08, 0.01, and 0.01, respectively), though with smaller effect distributions.
The key finding is that all intervention arms moved in the direction of reduced stigma, with the influencer-generated content producing the most pronounced statistical difference from control. However, the actual magnitude of change was small: median changes hovered at zero across most groups, meaning that for a typical participant, stigma scores didn't shift substantially. The fifth to 95th percentile ranges tell a more nuanced story, revealing that some participants showed larger reductions while others showed minimal change. The study did not assess whether these immediate post-viewing reductions persisted beyond the experimental session.
If you work in HIV prevention, public health, or community health in settings where stigma undermines care engagement, this study suggests social media campaigns featuring trusted local voices warrant further investigation. The influencer effect is notable: when a recognized figure authentically communicates HIV-related messages, the impact appears stronger than peer-generated content alone, at least in the immediate term.
The practical limitations warrant emphasis: stigma reduction was measured immediately after a brief video exposure in a controlled setting. Real-world durability is unknown. The study also enrolled young adults with relatively low baseline stigma (median score of 1), raising questions about whether these videos would meaningfully shift attitudes among those with the most entrenched stigma.
Social media limits and digital detox are well-established habits for personal well-being, but this research highlights a potential public health application: when social media is deliberately used to deliver stigma-reduction messaging from credible messengers, it may influence attitudes at scale with minimal infrastructure cost.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Study Design | Randomized controlled trial |
| Sample Size | 567 participants |
| Participant Demographics | Young adults aged 18-29 years in Lima, Peru; median age 21; 53% male |
| Intervention | Exposure to one of four brief social media videos designed to reduce HIV-related stigma, including one featuring a top Peruvian influencer |
| Control | Simulated social media feed with control video |
| Primary Outcome | HIV-related stigma measured via Bogardus social distance scale (standard and intensity-based scoring) |
| Key Finding | Influencer-led content showed statistically significant stigma reduction versus control (p = 0.001); three other intervention arms also significant at p = 0.08, 0.01, and 0.01 |
| Effect Size | Modest: median changes near zero across arms, but distribution analysis revealed meaningful differences in percentile ranges |
| Measurement Timing | Immediately post-viewing; no follow-up data reported |
| Journal | Journal of the International AIDS Society |
| Publication Date | 2025 (study conducted November 2024 to January 2025) |
Primary Source:
Social Media Messaging to Reduce HIV-Related Stigma Among Young Adults in Peru: A Randomized Controlled Study. Journal of the International AIDS Society. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42502234
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| Limitations |
| Low baseline stigma in sample; unknown durability; limited assessment of reach among high-stigma populations |