AUCKLAND, Today: A public health campaign from the New Zealand Herpes Foundation and Motion Sickness has achieved a bold milestone: Aotearoa is now officially The Best Place in the World to Have Herpes.
Launched in October, the Make New Zealand the Best Place in the World to Have Herpes campaign aimed to tackle the social stigma around the common Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) with a mix of humour and education.
The campaign centred on an engaging online course, led by a lineup of Kiwi celebrities, answering questions like “is herpes scary?”, “how common is it?” and “how to not make herpes awkward?”
After eight weeks, New Zealand topped the global rankings, beating out Australia and Sweden, based on course completions and an OECD omnibus survey by TRA.
Globally, people spent 10,776 hours engaging with the campaign’s educational content, while its reach soared with 12.7 million impressions.
A survey revealed that 69% of participants reported feeling less stigma after completing the course. Additionally, 86% felt more comfortable discussing herpes openly, and 81% were inspired to support others.
“While this campaign has been a lot of fun, it has also provoked a very important conversation in New Zealand.” – Alaina Luxmoore
Alaina Luxmoore from the New Zealand Herpes Foundation highlighted the campaign’s transformative impact on thousands of Kiwis living with herpes.
“While this campaign has been a lot of fun, it has also provoked a very important conversation in New Zealand. Herpes is incredibly common across the world, but for too long it has been a reason for shame and stigma.
“By starting the conversation, and promoting education and acceptance over ignorance and fear – people with a herpes diagnosis know they are safe and accepted in New Zealand,” Luxmoore said.
The campaign even shifted personal perspectives. Julie, a 75-year-old from Levin, shared her experience: “When I first heard about this campaign I thought; For goodness sake this has nothing to do with me. I don’t have herpes and I’m not going to be catching it.
“But a friend convinced me to watch the videos – they were clever and funny and after watching them my attitude to herpes has changed.”
With its mix of humour, education, and bold messaging, the New Zealand Herpes Foundation has succeeded in turning the tide on stigma, making Aotearoa the most supportive place for herpes worldwide.
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