HIV-positive man asks strangers to touch him

An HIV-positive man took an interesting approach to testing the stigma attached to having HIV/AIDS by standing on a street with his arms out and asking random people to touch him.

Janne, the man in the video, partnered up with a broadcasting company and took to the streets of Helsinki, Finland, to see how people would react.

[video 1]

Although the video is not in English, they can be seen making a sign that reads “I AM HIV-POSITIVE. TOUCH ME!”

At first people look at him, read the sign and keep on walking, seeming rather confused by the gesture.

But despite all of the weird glances coming his way, the man stands there, unwavering.

It pays off when a few moments later one woman stops, squeezes his hand, and continues.

Eventually, people are seen stopping in their tracks to turn around and give him a pat on the shoulder.

The support begins to get overwhelming when two women take it upon themselves to not only touch him, but to hug him.

To his joy, those were just the beginning of many hugs that he received throughout the day, some of which that came from children.

At the end of the video, the man is seen tearing up, overcome by the acts of kindness he had received throughout the experience.

In the YouTube video description, the broadcasting company writes that, in addition to testing the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS, they wanted to raise awareness of HIV.

They leave the viewers with one question: “Would you have touched him?”