A new pilot project, Beyond the Red Ribbon: Improving HIV awareness through media education programs run by Edith Cowan University in collaboration with WA Aids Council (WAAC) in Perth, aims to fill this gap by empowering people who live with HIV or who work for HIV organisations, to be proactive and share their own stories and experiences of HIV with the media. The participants will do this through media training sessions where they learn what is “newsworthy” and how to communicate their news and stories in the media. In the field of health communications, this approach is known as Health Narratives, and it arose out of a response to the increasingly important role that personal stories play in communication about health issues. It is a relatively new concept that encourages people to share their health experiences as a way to put a human face on a disease, and at the same time, demystify the disease and erode stigma and fear associated with it. Ultimately, it could result in a better understanding and response to diseases. The project has already been included in WAAC’s revised media and communications strategy. If the pilot project is successful, it will be offered to other state-based AIDS councils throughout Australia via the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations. Have a story to share? Sign up to MEDAXS for free and publish them on your MEDAXS blog.