Visual Culture and Health Posters
 Description:
One of the most recognized HIV/AIDS posters ever produced, this image of a child with outstretched arms accompanied by the message, "I have AIDS, please hug me, I can't make you sick," has become a worldwide icon in the fight against HIV/AIDS discrimination. Inspired by the experience of Ryan White, a 13-year old hemophiliac with AIDS who was barred from school in 1985 and became a symbol of the intolerance that is inflicted on AIDS victims, this reproduction of a child's drawing has a disarming quality that works closely with the textual message. This poster reflected the changed tone of the media coverage of AIDS following Ryan White's courageous battle, which helped shift focus from ignorance and discrimination to acceptance and newfound knowledge of the fatal disease. Designed to evoke compassion, the simple yet powerful message in the poster has subsequently inspired a variety of spin-offs used by international AIDS awareness and education programs. Date: 1987 - Source:
- Original Repository: The History of Medicine Division. Prints and Photographs Collection. This image may also be accessed from the Images from the History of Medicine (IHM).
- URL: http://wwwihm.nlm.nih.gov/
- IHM Order Number: A028344
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