Our upcoming podcast explores the history of HIV, the people who have shaped it, and the possibilities ahead.
At Scientists, Inc., we love a good question. Questions bring people together. They give us somewhere to start, help us understand one another, and sometimes change what we thought we knew.
Our latest project begins with questions about HIV. How has our understanding of the virus changed? What can we learn from the people who have lived through those changes? And how can we help more people connect with the knowledge and care they need today?
With support from a $15,000 grant from the Susan Terry Foundation, we’re developing Mapping HIV: Science, Stories and Solutions, a seven-episode podcast that will explore those questions through investigative reporting, accessible science, and personal storytelling.
Led by our co-founder and CEO, Dr. Parmvir Bahia, the series brings together her background in biomedical research, her experience hosting our 2Scientists podcast, and a belief that guides everything we do: everyone deserves to feel welcome in conversations about science.
Understanding the history means listening to people.
The history of HIV holds extraordinary scientific discoveries alongside profound loss, determined advocacy, and communities showing up for one another. People living with HIV have helped shape the response to the epidemic, calling for research, access to treatment, and a voice in decisions affecting their lives.
We want to help listeners understand how these stories connect.
Mapping HIV will explore the virus’s origins, the early years of the AIDS epidemic, and the advances that have transformed prevention and treatment. We’ll also examine how public attitudes and policy have influenced that progress, and how they continue to affect people’s everyday experiences.
Making sense of the science today
HIV treatment has changed dramatically. With effective treatment, people living with HIV can live long, healthy lives. People who take HIV medication and maintain an undetectable viral load do not transmit HIV through sex, a finding known as undetectable equals untransmittable, or U=U.
That is information people deserve to have, understand, and feel comfortable discussing.
Throughout the series, we’ll explain developments in treatment and prevention, including PrEP, medication used to help prevent HIV. We’ll explore how testing works, what connecting with care can look like, and what researchers are investigating next.
We’ll make space for the questions people may have felt uncomfortable asking, too. Learning often starts with saying, “I don’t understand this yet.” We want listeners to feel welcome starting there.
Talking honestly about access
Scientific progress reaches people through healthcare systems, community organizations, relationships, and everyday decisions. That means understanding HIV also requires talking about the practical realities of getting care.
Finding time for an appointment. Paying for treatment. Balancing work and caregiving. Feeling safe enough to ask for help.
Stigma and misinformation can make each of those experiences harder. We’ll explore how they affect people living with HIV, including those already facing discrimination or financial barriers, and how communities are working to make information and services more accessible.
With particular attention to Tampa Bay and Florida, we also hope to introduce listeners to the local organizations, advocates, and care providers helping people get tested, find support, and stay connected to care.
A place for your questions
A podcast lets people listen on their own schedule and in a setting that feels comfortable to them. That flexibility matters when a subject is personal, unfamiliar, or difficult to discuss.
Whether you’re living with HIV, supporting someone who is, working in healthcare or education, or simply curious about how the science has changed, we’re making this series with you in mind.
We’re grateful to the Susan Terry Foundation for helping us begin this work, and to the people whose knowledge and stories will help shape it. If you like what we’re doing at Scientists Inc., please consider supporting our work.
