WHO WE ARE

The Eyes Open Committee are a regional steering group who raise awareness of HIV and support World Aids Day, thanks to financial and other support from our partners. The committee in it's present incarnation has been in existence since 2003 when the very first art exhibition took place at the Biscuit Factory. Work to raise awareness of HIV and stigma has taken place in the North East for a lot longer but we carry the work forward with many thanks to all those involved, past and present.

WHAT WE DO

Throughout the year Eyes Open work around the region in schools, hospitals, community settings and other organisations to promote the awareness of HIV and to remove the stigma that is still attached to HIV. The committee also organise regional events to support World AIDS Day on 1st December every year, these have included art competitions, candle-lit vigils, lantern making workshops, lantern parades, awareness raising marches, conferences, online campaigns, HIV resources and more.

In the UK we now have medications that can treat HIV, which allows people to live a near normal life expectancy, which is so different to the life expectancy people were told in the 80’s and early 90’s, but still today there is a lot of ignorance, stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV.

 If a person adheres to HIV medication, the virus in the blood reduces to undetectable levels. We can now say with complete confidence that people, living with HIV and on effective treatment, can no longer pass on HIV to others, even when sex is unprotected.

This is called U=U which stands for Undetectable = Untransmittable. An awareness campaign has been running for a number of years now, but still the message hasn’t got to everyone, for more info please visit: https://www.tht.org.uk/our-work/our-campaigns/cant-pass-it-on