Zero Hour

In this episode of ZERO HOUR—filmed in front of a live studio audience at the 2023 U.S. Conference for HIV and AIDS—four Black women take over the discussion table to take back their own narratives and to define their own roles in ending the HIV epidemic.   Because to truly understand the impact that discrimination, inequity, and stigma have on Black women, we need to hear from Black women themsel...

Health inequities don’t just happen. They’re made by the broken parts of broken systems. And when those systems are left unfixed, the divide between the people with the most need and the people with the most resources grows even wider. In this episode, we’re joined by two guests who are championing system reform and person-centered care to overcome inequalities in the global response to HIV.  Our...

Sure, children are the future, but why shouldn’t they have a hand in the present? Today’s episode of Zero Hour introduces us to two HIV advocates—one an HBCU professional and the other a person born with HIV—who are centering education for youth and adolescents in their missions to end the epidemic. Our guests are: Leslie Hall, director of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program a...

Leaving home is never easy—especially when discrimination, xenophobia, and cultural barriers await you in your new destination. In this episode, Zero Hour™ speaks with two leaders who are working to not only ease the transition for migrants and displaced people, but to also connect them with vital HIV services and resources. Our guests are: Denis Onyango, a grassroots activist who organizes HIV te...

When it comes to HIV, women are forced to contend with more than just stigma and barriers to care. Factors like gender inequality, intimate partner violence, and bodily autonomy make everything from prevention and treatment to status disclosure more difficult and more dangerous. In this episode, we’re exploring common obstacles women encounter in the fight against HIV, as well as the global effort...

You do it. Your parents did it. Even the Puritans did it…so why are we so puritanical when it comes to talking about sex? In this episode, we’re bringing it all out of the bedroom and discussing how openly talking about sex is a necessary first step to talking about HIV. Sex positivity, health exploration, eliminating stigmas and taboos—they all start here, with the birds and the bees.  Our guests...

No one wants to be surveilled. It’s the reason we put tape over our webcams and diligently monitor privacy settings on our phones. Being watched makes you feel like you’re already guilty, and someone is just waiting for you to slip up. For people living with HIV, being monitored—and being treated like criminals—isn’t some speculative, dystopian fear. It’s a constant reality. And as we’ll explore i...

There’s a common thread that ties together justice, stigma, secrets, and truth: language. The words we use can liberate and unite as easily as they can mislead and isolate. On this episode of Zero Hour™, we’re diving into the ways that language barriers can keep Latinx people from seeking and receiving HIV care. We’re also exploring how discriminatory language and false conflations (such as equati...

Could ending the HIV epidemic start with making HIV go…viral? Zero Hour™ speaks with two social influencers and television personalities who are using their platforms for more than clicks and follows. They’re using their voices to dismantle stigma in Hollywood and beyond to create a culture of accountability and honesty.   Our guests are:   Greg Mathis, Jr., a television personality and activist w...

Is this thing on? Firsthand testimony makes for some of the most powerful and impactful stories, but people living with HIV are too often left out of conversations about the epidemic. Stepping up to the mic are  2  special guests who are using their lived experiences to teach compassion, dismantle taboos, and normalize  HIV with  openness and vulnerability.  Our guests are:  George M. Johnson, an...

What does having HIV mean if you are pregnant? If you were an influencer living with HIV, would you share your diagnosis with your audience? This episode explores the ways external stigma and biases can permeate the lives of people living with HIV. We’ll also confront the decision to share your HIV diagnosis —and the consequences that decision might bring, both good and bad.​  Our guests are:​  An...

No more silence. No more ambiguity. These conversations with global health experts, activists, and change-makers bring you the candid truth about HIV—from the harrowing to the hopeful. Zero Hour™ is a global podcast brought to you by Gilead Sciences, hosted by Drs. Christopher Chauncey Watson and David Malebranche, and made for anyone providing HIV care, living with HIV, or just wanting to learn m...