2 Oct 2024
On October 2, Dr. Stefan Zippel received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany from Minister of State Ulrike Scharf for his commitment to counseling and caring for people with HIV and AIDS.
Since 2003, Dr. Stefan Zippel, Head of the Psychosocial Counselling Centre at the Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology and Allergology at LMU Klinikum München, has been educating teenagers about the risks of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases in his three-hour lecture. The prevention project is unique in Germany.
"I am delighted to receive this award, but it is also intended to draw social attention to the importance of HIV and STI prevention," says Dr. Zippel. "Many people still don't know that HIV-infected people are no longer infectious when undergoing treatment. This lack of knowledge means that exclusion still takes place. This makes people ill and prevents them from getting tested early after sexual risk contact."
Over the course of two decades, Dr. Zippel has given over 2,000 lectures in clear language to more than 400,000 pupils in grades 10 to 13 from all over Bavaria, explaining how to avoid infection routes, disease progression and infections. In addition to an increased wealth of knowledge, the young people leave the lecture with a heightened awareness not only of the importance of sexual health, but also of the exclusion of minorities and with suggestions to take action against discrimination and stigmatization in their own environment.
The psychologist also teaches the sensitive use of language in relation to sexuality, sexual practices, different forms of sexual orientation and how to deal with them in the school environment. One of Zippel's particular concerns is intervening against rejection, discrimination and violence against LGBTIQ young people.