Body Positive - RWLF 2022 grantee
Body Positive was awarded funding through the 2022 round of the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund.
Example of the free in-app advertising that Body Postive could access through their development of relationships with the dating platforms.
Body Positive works for a future where all people living with HIV and all of our rainbow community can fully enjoy healthy mental and sexual health and a life free of stigma and discrimination. They are a leader in the online outreach space, following trends in dating and sexual practices to reduce barriers to accessing information and services. Body Positive works in the spaces that many, particularly younger people, use to connect to provide information and peer support.
Their outreach on one popular app has successfully reached individuals who live in remote and rural areas where feelings of isolation and loneliness are more prevalent and access to services and information harder. Similarly, they are able to engage with a diverse range of users who often experience cultural and socio-economic barriers to having honest conversations and services around sexual health.
In one example, Lucas* messaged asking if Body Positive could understand Spanish. Due to differences in prescribing practices, Lucas had run out of HIV medications after being in Aotearoa for one month, causing him distress. Body Positive was able to connect Lucas to healthcare immediately, and he went on to engage in social groups.
As a result of funding from the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund, this outreach service run by Body Positive has been able to expand from its initial phase and attract additional funding. They have built relationships and received support directly from App makers, such as the Grindr for Equality programme. The service is now fully up and running and funded in an ongoing way.
*name changed for confidentiality purposes