Talk is not cheap. In fact it can save lives. When we talk about HIV, we can educate our peers, end stigma and inspire others. That’s why we’re excited about a new campaign called #SpeakOutHIV that was launched by Greater Than AIDS. The rate of new HIV infections among young gay men is increasing, and the campaign aims to personalize those stories and encourage everyone affected by the virus to talk about it. At the heart of #SpeakOutHIV is a 25-video series in which men 25 and younger open up about how HIV changed their lives. These young men created their own videos at a digital storytelling workshop in Washington, DC, earlier this month.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that new HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) ages 13 to 24 grew by 22 percent from 2008 to 2010. The CDC cites “the high proportion of young MSM (especially young MSM of color) who are unaware of their infection” as a factor contributing to the rise of infection in this population, a factor Greater Than AIDS is taking head-on with #SpeakOutHIV.

The entire 25 videos will be posted on YouTube on Saturday, September 27, in honor of National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Watch them at youtube.com/greaterthanaids. Share your own story using #SpeakOutHIV on social media from now through National Coming Out Day, October 11.