Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:13 — 31.3MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Email | RSS

Rejoining hosts Peta-Gaye Tomlinson and Dante Gennaro, guest Jordan Wynn returns to examine the profound power of terminology in HIV care and community spaces. The episode investigates how language choices, such as shifting from “HIV-positive” to “person living with HIV,” or replacing terms like “clean” with “negative”, fundamentally shape social perceptions and clinical interactions. The hosts and guest explore how labels operate within LGBTQ+ spaces, analyzing how terms like “undetectable,” “poz,” or “PrEP user” influence interpersonal relationships, dating dynamics, and community inclusion.

The dialogue balances the fine line between labels serving as empowering identity markers versus tools of reduction that simplify individuals down to a medical diagnosis. Furthermore, the episode highlights notable generational shifts, comparing how Gen Z, Millennials, and older adults navigate HIV-related vocabulary differently. Listeners will come away with a stronger commitment to person-first language and concrete strategies for reframing everyday clinical conversations to avoid harmful assumptions.

If you have a topic you’d like us to discuss or want to share feedback, please email us at CTAETC@yale.edu.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:27 — 27.0MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Email | RSS

In this episode, Dante Gennaro and Peta-Gaye Tomlinson sit down with Jordan Wynn to unpack the psychological, historical, and social barriers that prevent individuals from seeking HIV testing. The discussion explores the pervasive “fear of knowing,” examining why the anticipatory anxiety surrounding a potential positive result often proves more paralyzing than receiving the diagnosis itself. The conversation also delves into historical medical trauma, detailing how systemic mistrust within healthcare systems- particularly among BIPOC communities- continues to impede access to routine diagnostic care.

The episode tackles external fears, including worries about social rejection, community gossip, and discrimination following a positive result. Jordan emphasizes the importance of shifting the overall testing narrative away from fear and toward empowerment by illustrating what living with HIV actually looks like with modern care. Healthcare professionals will gain practical approaches for normalizing testing routines, leveraging pop-up events, and utilizing peer-led models to build safe, low-barrier entry points for care.

If you have a topic you’d like us to discuss or want to share feedback, please email us at CTAETC@yale.edu.