Conference Program

Are you here for the first time, or has the diversity of the program overwhelmed you, leaving you unsure where to start? Do you not speak German well but don’t yet know how to use the translation services? Have you heard there is childcare available but don’t know how to register your child? In this session, you’ll get an overview of all the key information and tips from the conference organizers to help you navigate both the program and Magdeburg. You can ask your most pressing questions and receive useful details about the schedule and structure.

Take advantage of this opportunity!

Speakers: Denis Leutloff (Preparation Team) and Heike Gronski (Conference Lead)
Venue: H2 Volksbank Auditorium

We welcome all participants to the 23rd Positive Encounters, taking place in Magdeburg for the first time. The theme suggests that we aim to look far beyond our own horizons—starting with the opening event.

We will connect live to Kenya, Turkey, Argentina, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom to learn what issues are affecting people living with HIV in those countries.

Performing for us will be musician and human rights activist Angel Maxine, who advocates for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. She is recognized as Ghana’s first transgender musician and gained international attention for using pop music as a form of resistance against legislation targeting the discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in Ghana.

The Independent Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Ferda Ataman, is our patron and sends a welcome message. The Mayor of Magdeburg, Simone Borris, personally welcomes us to her city.

As the host, however, the Board of the German AIDS Service Organization—represented in this case by Sven Warminsky, who also serves as the Managing Director of the local member organization—has the first word. The final word goes to the outstanding team of representatives from the HIV-positive community, who have shaped the content of this conference for you. They hand over the conference to you with best wishes.

Sophie Kortenbruck will guide us through the event.
Venue: Audimax

This presentation highlights key findings from the 9th Ageing Report of the German Federal Government from an intersectional perspective. It focuses on the lived realities of older LGBTI individuals, the interplay of different forms of discrimination, and the impact of ageism on social participation, health, and care in later life. The talk will address structural inequalities and existing needs for action to promote diverse and discrimination-sensitive aging.

Prof. Dr. Ralf Lottmann (Sociologist of Aging and Professor of Health Policy at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences)
Venue: H2 Volksbank Auditorium

Political upheavals and increasing repression—how is the world changing, and what impact does this have on HIV prevention and the care of people living with HIV at regional, national, and global levels?

Silke Klumb (German AIDS Service Organization - DAH)
Venue: Room 13

Lecture

Experiences of discrimination have been proven to impact physical and mental health and make it harder for many people to access adequate healthcare.
This lecture presents current findings on discrimination and racism as social determinants of health. The focus is on their effects on health equity and how discrimination-sensitive structures in healthcare, research, and public health can be strengthened. Additionally, approaches that can promote greater participation, diversity, and justice in the healthcare system will be discussed.

Katja Kajikhina (RKI)
Venue: Room 20

What does the future of healthcare look like?

AI and digitalization are supposed to improve healthcare and address structural challenges like demographic change and the resulting staff shortages. Bold promises are being made: technology is said to enable a longer and healthier life for all—while also cutting costs. What are the latest political and technical developments in digitalization? And how much truth is there in the narratives about new efficiencies and improved digital care?

Manuel Hofmann (DAH))
Venue: Room 208

What support am I entitled to in old age—and how do I access it? In this compact workshop, we provide an overview of care applications, long-term care insurance benefits, and age-related discounts.
Together, we’ll clarify what can be applied for, when, and where, what the requirements are, and how access to benefits can be simplified. The workshop offers practical guidance and space for questions about the social security system in old age.

Christian Roder (LL.M. in Social Law and Social Economy), Marcus Schröder (ZfsG Magdeburg)
Venue: Room 120

Temporary protection under Section 24 of the Residence Act for Ukrainians is currently valid until March 4, 2027—but what happens after that? In this workshop, we examine possible legal developments and discuss their impact on residency status and access to healthcare and social benefits.

Together, we’ll address open questions, contextualize current statements from authorities, and create space for exchange and guidance in an uncertain future.

Rostyslav Dzundza (PlusUkrDE)
Daniel Kashnitsky
Venue: Room 110

Hepatitis C is now curable in most cases—yet it remains a significant health issue. This workshop explores why the available and highly effective therapies have not been sufficient to sustainably reduce hepatitis C. The focus is on structural barriers in prevention, testing, and care, restrictions on access to diagnostics and treatment—particularly in correctional facilities—as well as the impact of stigma and prejudice on the care of affected individuals.

Contributors: Navina Sarna (RKI) and Torben Beimann (AIDS Support Cologne))
Venue: Room 211

The German healthcare system can be complex and difficult to understand—especially for people who are new to Germany or have specific healthcare needs.
We provide a clear overview of how the healthcare system in Germany is structured. Topics include health insurance, access to doctors and counseling centers, patient rights, and support services specifically for people living with HIV and/or people who use drugs.
The workshop offers space for questions, exchange, and practical information for everyday use.

Speaker: Ahmed Soliman (State Network of Migrant Organizations Saxony-Anhalt (LAMSA) e.V.))
Venue: Room 20

This workshop covers the basics of visibility control in electronic health records (EHR): Who can release or restrict data, what technical options (selective release, access logs) and legal frameworks apply, and what opportunities and risks arise for privacy and quality of care. Through short inputs and practical examples, we will exchange experiences—such as everyday handling, issues with permissions, and the documentation of sensitive information (e.g., HIV status, mental health diagnoses, drug use).

Manuel Hofmann (DAH))
Venue: Room 208

This workshop examines the use of chatbots in low-threshold counseling: How can automated dialogues help reach those seeking advice, provide initial information, and guide them to follow-up services—without losing sight of empathy and data protection? Using practical examples, we will explore the opportunities (accessibility, scalability, low barriers) and limitations (complexity of needs, trust, confidentiality) to develop criteria for effective use, design recommendations for dialog content, and workflows.

Aleksey Lakhov – Project: Borys Hrachov
English with translation
Venue: Room 210

In this seminar, we will discuss what outreach work is and its advantages and disadvantages. We will explore the principles on which outreach is based in the context of harm reduction and the forms it can take. We will also look at what those who want to work in outreach can expect and what competencies are required. Is it intimidating or not? Does street-based social work make sense—and if so, for whom? Everything you need to know about outreach work in the context of harm reduction.

Venue: Auditorium 218

In this seminar, we will discuss what outreach work is and its advantages and disadvantages. We will explore the principles on which outreach is based in the context of harm reduction and the forms it can take.
We will also examine what those who want to work in outreach can expect and what competencies are required. Is it intimidating or not? Does street-based social work have a purpose—and if so, for whom?
Everything you should know about outreach work in the context of harm reduction.

Speaker: Elena Remneva
Venue: Room 218

What impact do the changes discussed in the keynote have on key populations in terms of HIV care and prevention?

In these workshops, community representatives will break down the geopolitical situation and its effects on key populations at the international, regional, and national (or even local) levels. The tangible changes for groups such as sex workers, transgender individuals, women, people with migration backgrounds, people who use drugs, or refugees will be analyzed and discussed.

Venue: Room 13
Moderator: Ismar Hađam
Speakers: Laila Prager (Refugees and Displaced Persons), Valeriia Rachynska (Women), TBD (Sex Workers)

Discovering Strengths, Shaping Community

This workshop intentionally focuses on the strengths, experiences, and potential of older people living with HIV. The central question is how community, participation, and mutual support can be designed to strengthen resources, enable self-care, and foster connection. Together, we’ll gather ideas, discuss concrete approaches, and develop perspectives. Insecurities are welcome, and a wink is allowed.

Moderators: Stefan Reck, Tanja Krahm
Venue: Room 120

How do different cultures deal with death, grief, and remembrance—and how does this take shape in Germany today? In this workshop, participants will share their experiences and perspectives on grief, farewell, and remembrance cultures. What rituals have helped us after the loss of a loved one? How should we be mourned? The workshop offers space for exchange, questions, and a better understanding of diverse paths of commemoration, remembrance, and mourning.

Moderator: Bernard Buttler
Location: Room 112

This workshop explores how racism operates in medical facilities—from everyday assumptions and unequal treatment pathways to institutional barriers. We will examine the structural discrimination experiences people face and what we can do to address them. The goal is to make forms of racism in healthcare visible and highlight their impact on health services. Together, we will develop individual action and support options, as well as strategies for structural change.

Speaker: Ruffin Kendall (AIDS Support Düsseldorf))
Venue: Room 211

This workshop examines how patient rights are implemented (or violated) in practice for people who use drugs. Using personal accounts, case studies, and current barriers to care, we will explore experiences of discrimination, breaches of confidentiality, and obstacles to accessing medical services. The aim is to identify visible gaps between legal entitlements and actual care, and to develop practical recommendations for action.

Speaker: Dirk Schäffer (DAH))
Venue: Room 20

Many people, including those living with HIV, already use ChatGPT and similar systems to research health information. Some have medical letters explained in understandable terms or seek initial assessments. We are particularly interested in how you perceive this development. Together, we will look at a specific use case. We want to know how you use or evaluate such applications and what experiences, expectations, or doubts you associate with them. How is the relationship between doctors and patients changing? Does this represent patient empowerment? And what about your data?

About the Project: The *AI_dshilfe labs* project is a third-party-funded initiative by Deutsche Aidshilfe, led by Simon Herchenbach and Manuel Hofmann. We explore the visions, opportunities, risks, and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of HIV/AIDS support. As part of the project’s continuation in 2026, we are conducting another participatory study with Sophie Kortenbruck on the use of AI in our work.

Important: Your contributions in the workshop will be recorded, transcribed, and anonymized for publication in a final report. By participating, you help shape the future of AI in healthcare. As the saying goes: *Nothing about us without us—especially when it comes to artificial intelligence!*

Sophie Kortenbruck (German AIDS Service Organization)
Venue: Room 208

Opportunities, Risks, and Practical Tips

Artificial intelligence can provide practical support for self-help: it assists in drafting reports, funding applications, and minutes, creates or edits social media posts, handles translations, and generates initial drafts for informational materials. This saves time, increases the reach of communication, and offers straightforward assistance with linguistic or formal challenges.
At the same time, there are clear limitations and risks: automatically generated texts may contain factual errors, imprecise formulations, or inappropriate tone; translations may not always be culturally sensitive or technically accurate. Data protection and confidentiality are central—personal or sensitive content must not be processed. When using external AI services, copyright issues (e.g., regarding input sources) as well as potential storage and use of entered data must be considered.

Speaker: Nils Gerken (Hamburg)
Venue: Room 210

When conducting HIV and hepatitis tests, we often think that our main goal is to learn and communicate the result. If we reflect more deeply, we also focus on conveying information about transmission routes of HIV and hepatitis, treatment, and prevention. However, there are other equally important goals—empowerment, restoring a sense of control over one’s life, fostering acceptance, finding community, and much more. We will discuss these goals, which are no less important than a positive or negative test result. What methods can we use to achieve these goals during brief field testing?

Venue: Auditorium 218

When conducting tests for HIV and hepatitis, we often think that our primary goal is to learn and communicate the result. If we think more deeply, we also focus on conveying information about transmission routes of HIV and hepatitis, treatment, and prevention.
But there are other, no less important goals: empowering people, restoring their sense of self-efficacy and authorship over their own lives, fostering acceptance, enabling a sense of belonging to a community, and much more.
We discuss these equally important goals—regardless of whether the test result is positive or negative. We also explore which methods can help us achieve these goals even in brief field testing situations.

Speaker: Maksim Malyshev
Venue: Room 218

What impact do the changes discussed in the keynote have on key populations in relation to HIV care and prevention? (2)

In these workshops, the geopolitical situation will be contextualized for key populations through input from community representatives—on an international, national, regional, and, where applicable, local level.
The tangible changes for sex workers, trans people, women, people with a migration background, people who use drugs, or people fleeing their countries will be analyzed and discussed, along with their consequences for HIV care and prevention.

Moderator: Ferenc Bagyinszky
Speakers: Rosaline M’Bayo (people with a migration background), Alexei Lakhov (people who use drugs), Deekshitha Ganesan (trans people)
Venue: Room 13

Treat yourself to a mindful break amid the intense conference program. With simple mindfulness exercises, you can focus your attention on the present moment, quiet the whirlwind of thoughts, and create space for calm, clarity, and renewed energy. This way, you can return to the rest of the conference day feeling strengthened, focused, and with a fresh perspective.

Lothar Linzen (Certified Social Worker and Trainer for Mindfulness, Resilience, and Self-Compassion)
Venue: Room 209

Community representatives will share firsthand accounts of how global funding cuts and state repression are affecting people with HIV in their countries of origin.
We will create a space for migrants living in Germany to voice their concerns about the situation in their home countries and brainstorm ways to provide support from here. At the same time, we will inform German participants about the global situation and develop practical approaches to solidarity together.

Moderator: Holger Wicht (DAH)
Panelist: Alexei Lakhov, Lillian Petry, Vine Chan, Andrés Motta
Venue: Room 13

Following the workshop *Invisibly Burdened*, this second part invites participants to explore the practice of self-help: We will discuss how people can support one another, what resources and strategies exist within self-help structures, and how culturally and trauma-sensitive peer support can be designed. The focus will be on concrete forms of mutual aid, safe conversation formats, empowerment methods, and the networking of local services.

Dr. Jean-François Siani, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris
Venue: Room 20

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in medical practice, including to alleviate workflows.

What is your stance on this use? We invite you to share your experiences and perspectives on using AI as a support tool in the treatment room. We want to know how you assess the use of artificial assistants in healthcare and what experiences, expectations, or concerns you have.
What matters from the patients’ perspective, and what do we need? Together, we’ll examine a specific use case and discuss the benefits, risks, and broader implications of the topic.

About the Project: The *AI_dshilfe labs* project is a third-party-funded initiative by Deutsche Aidshilfe, led by Simon Herchenbach and Manuel Hofmann. We explore the visions, opportunities, risks, and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the context of HIV/AIDS support. As part of the project’s continuation in 2026, we are conducting another participatory study with Sophie Kortenbruck on the use of AI in our work.

Important: Your contributions in the workshop will be recorded, transcribed, and anonymized for publication in a final report. By participating, you help shape the future of AI in healthcare. As the saying goes: *Nothing about us without us—especially when it comes to artificial intelligence!*

Sophie Kortenbruck (DAH))
Venue: Room 208

Let’s talk about how to help people from vulnerable communities—and society as a whole—develop strength. How do we see the people we support: as weak and helpless, or as individuals with their own principles and the ability to cope with challenges?

Venue: Auditorium 218

We’ll discuss how to contribute to people from vulnerable communities—and the community as a whole—developing new strength. Do we see those we accompany as weak and helpless, or as individuals with their own principles and the ability to handle difficulties?
What can we do to recognize the skills, competencies, values, and even the small steps people take to improve their lives?
The workshop will include not only discussions but also practical exercises. You’ll leave with several concrete methods for conducting conversations that empower people from vulnerable communities.

Speaker: Elena Remneva
Venue: Room 218

Advocacy efforts: Closure of the Tegel Arrival Center, current work in other shared accommodations for migrant women. Challenges and approaches to solutions.*

Venue: Room 110
Speaker: Kateryna Parfeniuk
Board Member of PLUS UKR DE e.V.
Project Coordinator for Community Empowerment for Vulnerable Groups: Access to HIV Services for Ukrainian Refugees in Germany

People living with HIV are aging—and their needs are becoming more diverse. This panel discussion will open the topic for the subsequent workshops and examine the medical, nursing, psychosocial, and social care of older people with HIV. The focus will be on access barriers and discrimination, structural challenges, and the question of what impulses current reforms in the healthcare and nursing systems can provide for needs-based and discrimination-free care.

Jan Bockemühl (BISS), Nathalie Schlenzka (Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency), Ian Parrington-Fester (PositHIVe Faces), Benjamin Wagner-Andrae (Paritätischer Welfare Association).
Venue: H2 Volksbank Auditorium

The presentation will outline key arguments for a progressive, health-focused drug policy and discuss potential steps toward decriminalization, harm reduction, and social justice.

We will explore how a policy that recognizes pleasure, intoxication, and self-determination can reduce health risks, combat stigma, improve access to care, and protect marginalized groups.

Martin Viehweger
Venue: Room 208

A Perspective on Empowering Clients as a Key Component of Treatment Adherence

Often, it seems that the most important thing is to get the client to the hospital, receive ART therapy, be admitted, and so on. But that is only part of it. The important part is to ensure that the client stays in treatment or at least returns and knows how to do it. So that they feel more responsible for their own health. Sometimes, our help can have the opposite effect—we disempower the client and make them feel helpless. Let’s talk about how the process of social support can give clients strength and autonomy in the context of their own health.

Venue: Auditorium 218

We often feel that the most important thing is to get clients into a hospital, provide them with access to ART, or arrange inpatient care. But that is only part of the work. An equally important part is creating the conditions for clients to stay in treatment—or at least know how to return to it. For them to increasingly take responsibility for their health and assume ownership of it.
However, sometimes our help can weaken people and place them in a dependent, helpless position. We discuss how social support can be designed to empower clients and give them greater agency over their own lives within the framework of healthcare.

Speaker: Maksim Malyshev
Venue: Room 218

Keynote speech on the significance of history for the present and future of HIV self-help and the impact of the AIDS movement on society since the 1980s.

Venue: Room 13
Axel Schock, Journalist

Keynote speech: Intersectionality through the lens of Black feminism—A fascinating look into history for a better understanding of the present.

Venue: Room 211
Divine Lumbu, Lawyer, Member of the Afro-German Lawyers Association

Under the auspices of BISS e.V., a federal competence center for care and aging is currently being established as a support structure for the self-organization of LGBTIQ* individuals in need of care, people with HIV requiring care, and their (caregiving) relatives. The initiative aims to launch a pilot project with volunteer navigators to assist these target groups in accessing care, as well as to establish a telephone-based initial counseling service. Markus Johannes, the project coordinator, will present the current planning status and engage participants in a discussion about the opportunities and limitations of the initiative, as well as its potential for local implementation. Participants will have the chance to share their wishes, experiences, fears, and reservations regarding aging and HIV-related care in small groups and plenary sessions, fostering reflection and exchange.

Moderator: Markus Johannes (BISS)
Venue: Room 120

How do we want to live and be cared for as we age, and what options exist beyond traditional care facilities?
Together, we will explore alternative housing and care models, such as communal living, inclusive care concepts, or self-organized housing projects. We will examine which services already exist, where gaps remain, and what requirements emerge from our perspectives.
The workshop provides space for exchange, sharing experiences, and networking. The goal is to highlight needs, strengthen opportunities for action, and develop ideas for discrimination-sensitive and self-determined housing and care models.

Alexander Goethe (Solis Wohnen), Anabela Dias de Oliveira (State Model Project LSA), Jan Bockemühl (BISS)
Location: Room 112

What can we do? Building on the inputs and discussions from the previous day, we will explore how activists in Germany can engage at the international, regional, national, or even local level—individually or in groups. The focus will be on advocacy strategies and tools, starting with how we can influence national and international developments in Germany. We’ll discuss key stakeholders (e.g., drafting letters to policymakers and decision-makers), relevant organizations, and the roles different actors play in resource distribution, among other topics.

Trainer: Valeriia Rachynska
Venue: Room 13

In this workshop, we will present the archive project “Helix,” developed in the context of the Positive University at Waldschlösschen, and further develop it together. The history of HIV in Germany is visualized as a dual narrative of personal life stories and societal developments.
We will discuss key phases, generations, and the planned interactive platform, and invite participants to contribute perspectives and collaboratively shape the project’s future.

Moderators: Frank Hofmann and Frank Beckmann
Venue: Room 110

What legal protections does it actually provide for people with HIV in healthcare and the workplace?

Speakers: Kerstin Mörsch (DAH), Divine Lumbu (Lawyer)
Location: Room 211

This workshop addresses experiences of discrimination in healthcare and combines awareness-raising with practical empowerment. We’ll analyze common patterns of discrimination against people with HIV (including intersections with racism, ageism, transphobia, and drug-related discrimination), gather participants’ experiences, and collaboratively develop tips for handling discriminatory situations in medical settings.

Speakers: Anka Hellauer (DAH), Oksana Panochenko (DAH), Gottfried Dunkel
Venue: Room 20

This workshop explains the basics and practice of drug checking: How does chemical analysis help identify substances and contaminants? What services are available, and what legal and organizational frameworks must be considered? Which substances are tested, which target groups are reached, and what impact does the service have on users?

Speaker: Tizian Keßler (vista Berlin, Drug and Addiction Counseling Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Misfit)
Venue: Room 210

In social work and street outreach, we often forget the most basic level of how the people we support function—physically. While modern helping practices and professions (social work, psychology, medical professions) have long treated this knowledge as commonplace, we will explore how the body and physicality can play a role in our work. How can we integrate knowledge about physicality into our support? How do we account for the limitations that physicality imposes on social work with individuals? And most interestingly—we, as social workers, are also physical beings. So, can we also care for our own bodies and physicality in the context of our work? What does that mean? Find out in this workshop on physicality.

Venue: Auditorium 218

In social support and outreach work, we often overlook the most fundamental level of human functioning—the body. Yet, knowledge about the body and physicality has long been a crucial component of professional practice in modern helping professions (social work, psychology, medical professions).
We will explore the role that the body and physicality can play in our work. How can we use this knowledge as a resource? How can we consider the boundaries that physicality brings to social work with people?
And last but not least: We, as social workers, are also physical beings. This means we can also take care of our own bodies and physicality in the context of our work. You will learn what this means in concrete terms in this workshop on physicality.

Speaker: Elena Remneva
Venue: Room 218

What does it mean to grow older as a (postmenopausal) woman living with HIV today? In this workshop, we focus on women-specific perspectives on aging with HIV and examine current challenges such as loneliness, poverty in old age, migration experiences, multiple forms of discrimination, or the loss of autonomy.

Together, we will explore what is needed for healthy aging: What role do self-help, healthcare systems, and social networks play? What approaches and models already exist—and where are the gaps? The goal is to identify needs, share experiences, and develop ideas for more equitable and sensitive support.

This workshop is part of a participatory study on HIV care in Germany. Ethical approval has been granted by the Charité Berlin, BeCure Center. You will be informed in advance about the patient information and consent form. Your contributions are voluntary and will be fully anonymized.

The workshop results, along with findings from other events, will be presented in a podcast format. This will be made available free of charge to women living with HIV and interested professionals starting tentatively in February 2027. For more information about the project, visit www.gaebler-lab.com/thewomenproject

Sophie Kortenbruck (DAH), Tomer Einav (Charité)
Location: Room 112

We provide a clear overview of recommended vaccinations, explain their benefits and potential risks, and discuss how vaccinations can be tailored to individual needs. We also address common questions and concerns.

Speaker: Luca Wolff (Physician, MHH)
Moderator: Achim Donsbach
Venue: Room 211

Peer-to-peer support as a means of expanding access to psychological assistance for members of vulnerable communities

Psychological and psychotherapeutic support often comes with high barriers to access and is frequently unavailable. This is especially true for people from vulnerable communities and those with migration or refugee backgrounds—due to a lack of financial support and language barriers. 

The workshop will share experiences from conducting peer-to-peer support schools in Tbilisi as a response to the lack of such services. It’s an inspiring story about how community members can support one another during difficult times. Additionally, a discussion awaits you on the exclusivity and inaccessibility of psychotherapeutic services.

Speaker: Elena Remneva
Venue: Auditorium 218

Psychological and psychotherapeutic support is often associated with high barriers to access and is therefore out of reach for many people. Those particularly affected include individuals from vulnerable communities as well as people with migration backgrounds and refugees—due to a lack of financial support and language barriers.

The workshop will cover experiences from implementing peer-to-peer support schools in Tbilisi, which were created in response to the lack of such services. It’s an inspiring story about how community members can support each other during challenging times. You can also look forward to a discussion on the exclusivity and inaccessibility of psychotherapeutic services.

Speaker: Elena Remneva
Venue: Room 218

This section will focus on forms of political activism and advocacy. The range is broad and can include organizing political actions (campaigns, demonstrations, etc.) as well as fundraising for individual projects in different countries. The workshops will present various forms of political activism, discuss them, and assess their feasibility in relation to specific issues.

Venue: Room 13
Trainer: Caspar Tate

Moderated by Sophie Kortenbruck

Farewell to PoBe 2026—but we’re staying engaged and looking ahead with strength and solidarity. See you again in 2028!

Venue: H2 Volksbank Auditorium