Well Said

When Dr. Lisa Hightow-Weidman was in medical school, she saw that people with HIV were affected not just by the disease itself but also by the stigma of having something that they might not have told their friends or families about. As the principal investigator of the UNC Behavior and Technology Lab and the UNC/Emory Center for Innovative Technology, Hightow-Weidman tries to tackle that stigma through mobile technology. “The ability to empower patients and participants to have control over their health and their sexual health is a really important thing,” said Hightow-Weidman, an associate professor in the UNC School of Medicine. December 1 is World AIDS Day. Every year since 1998, the first day in December has been dedicated to raising awareness about the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV. On this week’s episode of the podcast, Hightow-Weidman explains why her innovative work is so important for helping health care workers reach the people who need HIV and AIDS information the most.