Reflecting on Another Successful International Conference on Stigma
February 7, 2026
As the new year begins, it is always a good time to reflect on the positive aspects of the last year. For those working to end stigma, the International Conference on Stigma is an integral part of those efforts.
The 16th Annual International Conference on Stigma was a hybrid conference held from November 18-20, 2025. With two days virtual and one day in-person at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., about three hundred people participated in the event.
“Each year, our conference grows and allows us to bring experts, health professionals, students and those impacted by stigma together in a safe space to not only discuss groundbreaking research, but to share our stories, advocacy journeys and ways we work to stop stigma each day,” Patricia Houston, Project Director in the HIV/Hematology Research Unit at Howard University and lead organizer of the conference, said.
With the theme “Beyond the Labels…Living and Thriving,” the conference offered more than 20 sessions exploring topics on advocacy, equity, faith, mental health, sickle cell disease and HIV. Recordings of the sessions can be viewed on YouTube, and one of the most viewed is the session titled, “Resilient Seeds Male Dandelions Emerging: A Conversation with Lifetime Survivors.” The dandelion metaphor is reference to the adaptability as well as ability of some children to thrive almost anywhere, despite their circumstances. The session explored the lived experiences of Shawn Mark, Richard Adkins and Omar P. Cintron who were all born with HIV. Their inspiring stories and willingness to share allowed the audience to easily see their resilient and how they earned the dandelion name.
1st Place Empower Category Innocence with Chaos
Doudgy Charmant and Sara Condera
What also makes the conference special is the added activities that surround the sessions, such as the scientific posters, art contest, raffles and fashion show. Arts have always been a critical way for many to express themselves, especially when encountering stigma, and the Howard University Stigma Project has been a champion in providing a pathway for both artists and novice to share their talents. This year entries included drawings, paintings, songs, poems and graphics created with the help of artificial intelligence from a wide selection of people from children to adults.
The conference was made possible by the generous support of our sponsors. Major sponsors included, Gilead Sciences, Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Lifebeat Program, Rana Pediatric Fund, Research Data and Communication Technologies, and EMD Serono. Those interested in supporting next year’s conference, efforts to end stigma or HIV awareness are encouraged to donate and connect with the Howard University Stigma Project today.
Creating a safe space is essential. One participant shared her journey with attendees, and it shows the need for the conference is real. She said, “I just turned 54 and have been positive for 33 of those years. Until two years ago I had never been around anyone who was HIV+ and spent my life feeling like a walking biohazard. I self-advocated and called Washington DC to get my HOPWA voucher and since then I have come out of survival mode due to chronic homelessness and now I’m a seated member of the KC Ryan White committee, the NAEH, HIV Caucus and a recent addition to PWN. I am no longer ashamed of my HIV status and fighting to eradicate stigma in my community.”
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