Touch has the power to heal, yet for people living with HIV/AIDS, physical contact with others is something they are often denied. That’s because many people believe they can contract HIV through touch – which is simply not true.

To dispel the myth, provoke conversation, and demonstrate how an HIV-positive person’s touch has the power to heal rather than be threatening, Toronto-based HIV/AIDS hospital Casey House, Bensimon Byrne and Narrative created “Healing House,” a wellness spa where all massage therapists were HIV-positive.

The team worked with the RMT from the Toronto Blue Jays to train 18 HIV-positive volunteers (called “Healers”) to perform neck, back and shoulder massages on visitors to the spa. “Healing House” opened to the media (of which 60 journalists booked a massage) and to the public during World AIDS Day.

The execution stoked fear, shock and hate but that was part of the plan. It spurred questions from people online, which the team leveraged to share facts about a disease that’s still largely misunderstood.

With a media budget of $30,000, “Healing House” amassed a media value of 11 million dollars and generated over 540 stories, 120 of them broadcast, as well as 360 million impressions. On social, the campaign generated more conversation around HIV stigma in three days than in all of 2018. Most importantly, it changed minds: 85% of participants felt more compassion for those with HIV and 77% said it changed their perception of people with the life-threatening condition.