Nick Jonas, Others Tackle Diabetes Myths (Exclusive)

Nick Jonas and other prominent figures with diabetes are tackling long-held misconceptions about the disease in a funny, yet frank video for the singer’s non-profit, Beyond Type 1.

In PEOPLE’s exclusive look at the video for the new initiative Beyond the Misconceptions, Jonas sits at a podcast interview, where an interviewer questions Jonas’ choice of beverage.

“You can have juice?” the shocked interviewer asked. “I thought you had diabetes.”

“Yeah, well, actually, people with diabetes need sugar when their glucose is low,” Jonas, 33, replies. “You’d be surprised how often people with diabetes hear these misconceptions.”

Jonas then hits a big red button on the desk — marked “begin misconception sequence” — that triggers a rapid-fire series of scenes showing others having to correct misbeliefs about the disease.

The next scene shows Indiana Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell — who, like Jonas, has type 1 diabetes — sitting at a press conference addressing why he left a game early. “Were you taken out of the game today because of your diabetes?” a reporter asks, prompting Mitchell, 23, to ask “Why would you assume it was for diabetes?”

Later in the video, the reporter says, “I was under the assumption that your diabetes made you a less reliable player.”

“Less reliable player?” Mitchell replies. “People with diabetes can play sports. And I clearly rolled my ankle,” he adds, showing his bandaged-wrapped foot.

Billy Porter — who has previously shared his type 2 diabetes diagnosis — is shown addressing misconceptions with a makeup artist, who shares her own concerns about being told by her doctor she may be at risk of developing the disease and worries that she “messed up.”

Porter, 56, counsels her that it’s not her fault — as many assume type 2 diabetes is simply a result of poor lifestyle — telling her, “Pull yourself together. There are many different factors, but over 50% of us get it due to hereditary genetics.”

There are many types and subtypes of diabetes but type 1 and type 2 are the most well-known: Type 1 is a chronic condition in which the pancreas makes “little or no insulin,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body can’t regulate blood sugar, and it builds up in the blood, Mayo Clinic explains.

Management can include wearing a continuous glucose monitor — and the Beyond the Misconceptions video shows those with diabetes fielding invasive questions from people about their medical device, quizzing if it’s a nicotine patch or if it’s for streaming media.

Jonas founded Beyond Type 1 with Juliet de Baubigny, whose son lives with type 1 diabetes. The non-profit was established to challenge misconceptions about the disease and reduce stigma around it.

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“Go to BeyondType1.org  for resources for anyone impacted by diabetes,” Jonas says at the end of the video, directing viewers to a robust website that offers information for not just those with diabetes, but caretakers and parents as well.

The Beyond the Misconceptions initiative launches Oct. 15.