Beating HIV Stigma: Undetectable Equals Untransmittable

Commentary

By Karl Schmid

Earlier this yr, GLAAD—in partnership with the Gilead COMPASS Initiative—carried out a survey titled, “The 2021 State of HIV Stigma Study.” Its activity was to measure American attitudes in direction of HIV and other people like myself dwelling with HIV. The outcomes of the examine have been disheartening, to say the very least: Americans, after 40 years, nonetheless appear to know little or no concerning the human immunodeficiency virus.

Why is that?

Is it as a result of the bulk – 51%, in keeping with this examine – simply don’t assume that HIV impacts them? Or is it as a result of the general public surveyed consider that HIV is treatable now? Perhaps it’s as a result of, amongst these questioned, they assumed that HIV is just for promiscuous homosexual white males and IV drug customers?

Whatever the explanations, HIV continues to unfold—and with it, the myths and misconceptions that have been born out of worry and lack of awareness 40 years in the past. Four a long time have handed, and but most individuals within the United States would really feel discomfort interacting with a medical skilled who has HIV.

We’ve come a great distance in preventing the illness, however in the case of preventing the stigma, there may be nonetheless a lot extra to be accomplished and it’s time that this turns into a precedence, as a result of way more harmful and lethal than the virus itself is the stigma that we simply can’t appear to smash.

This is without doubt one of the main causes I based +Life: a number one platform devoted to ending HIV/AIDs stigma.

How is it that as a society we’ve got been capable of get past referring to most cancers because the “c” phrase? How is it that the thought of a married couple getting a divorce is not taboo? Or {that a} youngster born out of wedlock not signifies that the mom is shamed and ostracized? But somebody with HIV, which may be managed and handled with correct treatment to the purpose that the virus is undetectable and never sexually transmissible, is in some way nonetheless branded, “reckless,” “perverted, “dangerous,” “unlovable,” and “damaged goods.”

These phrases come simply to me as a result of I’ve been on the receiving finish of them, however even worse, I’ve used them on myself. And I believed them.

I used to be newly 27 years previous after I was recognized, dwelling the life in London, and having fun with all of the issues that got here with being a single, younger, homosexual man dwelling in probably the most thrilling cities on the planet. But the second I heard the phrases, “You’ve tested positive for HIV,” it felt like a pair of handcuffs had been slapped on my wrists. That was it! It was over. And due to my “reckless,” “perverted” and “dangerous” habits, I had not solely successfully ended my life, however would additionally deliver disgrace on the household and mates who thought higher of me.

You see, that’s what most individuals assume once they get the information. Instead of occupied with their well being, and the realities of dwelling with HIV this present day, all we take into consideration is how we’ve tousled. The disgrace, the guilt, and the self-loathing create the harmful spiral many people go down, as a result of as a substitute of figuring out the reality and the science, all we’ve heard are outdated, expired, and inaccurate statistics.

It wasn’t till 2018, 11 full years of dwelling with HIV did I even hear the time period “U=U,” or “Undetectable Equals Untransmittable.” Even my HIV physician right here in LA, a person I respect tremendously who had been treating me for quite a lot of years by that time, had failed to say this U=U precept. It wasn’t till Bruce Richman of Prevention Access acquired ahold of me by way of Twitter, inviting me to the World AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, the place I used to be launched to America’s true superhero, Dr. Anthony Fauci, did I study this game-changing little bit of science so simply expressed. I needed solutions.  The reply I acquired was as a result of it nonetheless was “questionable.”

By 2018, there was mounting proof to help this straightforward message which might in the end show to be the keys to these handcuffs that have been slapped on me and tens of millions of others world wide.

In 1998, a San Francisco cohort examine confirmed that transmission from mom to child was lowered to approaching zero. In 2000, there was the Ugandan cohort that confirmed ZERO transmissions when the individual’s viral load was lower than 1500 copies/ml. In 2008, The Swiss Statement concluded that “transmission would not occur” with an undetectable viral load.

Perhaps the 2 most notable research got here in 2014 and 2018 with the Partner and Partner 2 research which confirmed that after 135,000 (yep, you learn that proper) occasions {couples} had intercourse with out condoms when the viral load was undetectable there have been ZERO transmissions!

All of those nuggets of knowledge might have given me (and tens of millions of others in the identical state of affairs) a really totally different outlook on myself and life. Instead of 11 years of believing the stigma and internalizing the stigma, I might have had hope. And hope is a really highly effective factor.

And but, my physician and tens of millions world wide like him continued to maintain this data to themselves. Only when the CDC and World Health Organization signed on did it begin to grow to be “accepted.”

The query is why? And now, a fair greater query is why does it proceed to be saved from individuals? There are many medical doctors and people within the medical neighborhood on the market who’re nonetheless responsible of claiming issues like, “well, yes, U=U, but it’s not my opinion.” No offense doc, these of us dwelling with HIV don’t need the opinion, we wish the science. We need the info. And we needed them yesterday.

I’m no physician and I’m actually no scientist; nonetheless, I’m an individual dwelling with HIV who carries the very actual, still-fresh scars of the stigma that society continues to heave on individuals like me. But I do know that messaging like U=U is the hope, is the sunshine, and is the message EVERYONE wants to listen to to lastly kick HIV stigma to the curb.

But it goes past U=U. In my opinion (one which I’ve a sense many share), the United States of America has main insecurity in the case of intercourse. Which is unusual, as a result of who doesn’t like intercourse? Whether it’s with ourselves, with another person, or with a bunch of individuals, we human beings, identical to each different dwelling factor, like intercourse. And past that, most of us are right here as a result of two individuals had intercourse or no less than frolicked alone in a cubicle in order that the outcomes might be used along side science! SHOCKING! We have this unusual spooky relationship with it that something sexual or to do with intercourse is “reckless,” “perverted, “dangerous.” – ugh, these phrases once more!

So for so long as we’re unable to debate intercourse casually and comfortably, I worry that the stigma that surrounds HIV will proceed to develop. When we sweep issues below the carpet, or we preserve them to whispered conversations, or worse, fake they don’t exist, then we create that darkish underworld the place stigma thrives.

IV drug customers are equally stigmatized. Dog crap on the sidewalk is extra acceptable and approachable than the subject of drug habit on this nation. God forbid we’ve got issues like legalized clear injecting rooms with help. “No no no! We can’t have that, it’ll only encourage drug users.” Rubbish! Research from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction discovered that secure consumption websites cut back drug use in public area (and discarded needles) and improve participation in drug habit remedy applications. They additionally assist restrict the unfold of HIV, Hepatitis C, and bacterial infections which can be related to intravenous drug use.

So what will we do then? How will we recover from our uptightness about intercourse and medicines? How will we get the science and the info to individuals in methods through which they perceive, comprehend and belief?

We have conversations. We don’t combat, we ask questions. We debate and we come to grasp that even when we disagree nose to nose, maybe we’ve planted a seed that may encourage others and ourselves to do some digging. Knowledge is energy, in spite of everything.

This nation stands at one in every of its most complex crossroads proper now — the combat towards HIV & COVID-19. The misinformation that has induced tens of millions of deaths resulting from AIDS-related sicknesses by no means wanted to occur, identical to the individuals who have misplaced their lives to COVID-19. People are dying for no motive.

It is time to deliver HIV out of the shadows and the darkness of the previous 40 years and actually simply inform the reality. Throw away all of the stereotypes, all of the myths and present the world that as Americans we are able to prepared the ground within the combat towards the virus and extra importantly the stigma.

HIV will not be the dying sentence. Stigma is the dying sentence — to which I proudly say, “F Stigma!”

Karl Schmid is an Australian-born tv host and producer.  In 2019, he launched Plus Life (@PlusLifeMedia), a digital way of life model geared toward smashing the stigma that surrounds HIV. In 2020, Plus Life additionally launched as a half hour tv program on the ABC digital Localish Network and in November 2021 Schmid made his Broadway debut internet hosting a particular night on Broadway in associations with Playbill and Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS.