SPFPP 374: Storytelling for Stigma Minimization - Live from STI Engage 2025

In 2019, I showed up to STI Engage with an idea—what if people living with herpes had access to consistent, psycho-social support through podcasting? That abstract turned into Something Positive for Positive People, and six years later, it’s no longer an idea—it’s a lived community experience.

Recorded live from Phoenix, AZ, this episode captures our 2025 return to the conference, where I led a somatic meditation on stigma, offered a real-time example of our support cycle, and shared how identity validation through storytelling has created a ripple effect of healing and community.

With hundreds of episodes, thousands of conversations, and tens of thousands of listeners later, this work continues to evolve—and it all began with a microphone and the courage to speak up.

If you host conferences, workshops, or events centered on identity, wellness, or stigma, reach out to collaborate at www.spfpp.org. And if you’ve got a story to share around stigma—herpes-related or otherwise—I’d love to hear from you.