U=U equals...
you involved?
Over the last
several years, U=U has really inspired the community and broken down some of
the walls in terms of how HIV is viewed. For decades, the basic understanding
was: if you are HIV positive you must use protection when engaging in sexual
activity. Shaky laws were built around the assumption that every act of
unprotected sex was as dangerous as lighting a fart at a gas station. The
discovery that an undetectable viral load makes transmission impossible not
only takes the teeth out of the ethical and legal problems that HIV
criminalization have caused, it also increases testing and encourages regular
doctor’s visits and adherence to drug regimens.
Anyone who has
tested positive has likely had to deal with the daunting spector of an
uncertain sex life ahead. The fears of rejection that come with that positive
status ultimately endangers the lives of the newly diagnosed. When someone is
depressed, or experiencing feelings of lonliness and a lack of hope, they are
more likely to avoid anything that reminds them of their HIV status, which
includes taking their medication and staying on top of their overall health.
Everyone with
HIV deserves access to HIV treatment, which is one of the cornerstones of what
U=U hopes to accomplish. Whether you are detectable, undetectable, HIV positive
or HIV negative, we all stand to benefit from this messaging receiving the
wings it so richly deserves.
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