The Youth Innovation Showcase provides youth with an opportunity to share their research through creative, non-traditional formats that engage the public and make research more accessible. (We will also display abstracts that were not accepted at AIDS 2026 to give youth researchers to have a space to show the world the great work they’re doing!)

Reflect on the Denver Principles, intergenerational leadership, and the future of meaningful involvement of people living with HIV.

The session will showcase the experience of the Jóvenes en MoVIHmiento (2024–2025) program, a youth-led initiative that strengthened the leadership and advocacy capacities of 150 young people from Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco, and Iquitos, including young people living with HIV, LGBTIQ+ youth, and young people from Indigenous and other historically underserved communities.

The session will highlight innovative strategies to promote meaningful youth engagement in the HIV response, including advocacy efforts that contributed to the development of Peru’s new HIV legislation, collaboration with the Peruvian Congress and the Ministry of Health, and digital communication tools such as the use of digital avatars to promote combination HIV prevention and treatment adherence.

The session is designed for young activists, youth-led organizations, community networks, and anyone interested in strengthening youth leadership and policy advocacy. It is highly relevant to Youth Force because it demonstrates how young people can move beyond being beneficiaries of programs to becoming key decision-makers and advocates who shape public policy. The session will also provide an opportunity to exchange experiences, foster international partnerships, and strengthen youth-led, community-driven responses to HIV across different countries and regions.

We carve a personal seal, roll it through wet clay, and leave a mark that's ours to keep. Rooted in one of the oldest storytelling traditions in human history, the session moves through an icebreaker, a guided meditation, and hands-on carving, so no art or history background is needed. What we make is less about the ancient craft and more about what each of us needs to say, offering space to reflect on survival, resilience, and identity without ever requiring anyone to disclose their status.

Este painel debate como as construções sociais da masculinidade afetam a saúde integral, o autocuidado e o acesso a direitos de homens negros, jovens e da população LGBTQI+. Em uma sociedade marcada pelo racismo e pela LGBTfobia, a busca por uma masculinidade ideal/hegemônica muitas vezes afasta esses sujeitos do cuidado com a saúde e do apoio comunitário. O painel busca tensionar como o estigma do HIV incide sobre os corpos de jovens negros e como a vivência da transmissão vertical impõe desafios específicos na transição para a vida adulta, na afetividade e no direito à saúde plena.

Participants negotiate priorities, build consensus, and co-create the Youth Force Declaration for AIDS 2030.