Quite often I hear negative messages in my blood related family about how I am not supposed to have sex because I have HIV. If I have sex, I should only have sex with someone else who has HIV or who has the same strain as I do. (SMDH). In a U=U University training session we received an assignment to provide a quick message about U=U. I chose to write one to my family. Oh, and yes I have provided as much education as I could to them yet some make a decision to remain ignorant.
"We all deserve pleasure, intimacy, and respect; and accurate information is part of that freedom. People living with HIV can and do have full, joyful, and fun consensual sex lives. The science is clear: that Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U). When my viral load is undetectable, because I take my medication consistently, I cannot transmit HIV to my sexual partner. Knowing this lets me love freely, without fear or stigma.
So in short U=U means I can love boldly and safely. The Stigma ends where facts begin and you get facts by taking the time to learn."
I know the U=U message isn't for everyone. It is not intended to leave out communities who haven't reached an undetectable viral load.
Much Love,
Dr. D
#UequalsU
