The Next Frontier of U=U Science

published on March 26, 2019 by Sony Salzman, in The Body Pro

The science is clear, the evidence overwhelming: HIV-positive people with an undetectable viral load cannot transmit the virus to sex partners. This message has gone a long way in combating HIV stigma, as Carrie Foote, Ph.D., a founder of the Undetectable Equals Untransmittable (U=U) campaign, can attest.

"Having tested positive myself in 1988, I lived in fear for nearly 25 years," said Foote, speaking at the 2019 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). "U=U takes away that fear."

At CROI 2019, the evidence of U=U was not up for debate. Rather, attendees gathered on March 6 to learn about the next frontiers of HIV transmission research at a symposium titled "The Story of U: Implications of Undetectable Viral Load on Transmission."

A Swiss History of U=U

In 2008, Switzerland's Pietro Vernazza, M.D., published a controversial statement in the Bulletin of Swiss Medicine that said people with an undetectable viral load for at least six months do not need to use condoms during sex to prevent HIV transmission.

That statement sparked a global debate on the validity of a premise that, at the time, ran counter to medical consensus about condom use.

View the full article >>

Tags:

Treatment as Prevention®

Our work serves clients and communities across British Columbia on lands and waters cared for and nurtured by the many distinct First Nations across the province. The BC-CfE humbly and gratefully acknowledge the stewards of these lands, particularly the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) on whose unceded, traditional and ancestral territories our offices are located.

© Copyright BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
St. Paul's Hospital 608–1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-8477 | Fax: 604-806-9044
General inquiries: info@bccfe.ca
Media inquiries: communications@bccfe.ca
(Please do not use any of these email addresses to send personal information or book an appointment. To book appointments or contact the H2H clinic, please call 604-416-1517 or fax: 604-564-4893. Do not send your or your client's personal information via email.)

© Copyright BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
St. Paul's Hospital 608–1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-8477 | Fax: 604-806-9044
General inquiries: info@bccfe.ca
Media inquiries: communications@bccfe.ca
(Please do not use any of these email addresses to send personal information or book an appointment. To book appointments or contact the H2H clinic, please call 604-416-1517 or fax: 604-564-4893. Do not send your or your client's personal information via email.)

Our work serves clients and communities across British Columbia on lands and waters cared for and nurtured by the many distinct First Nations across the province. The BC-CfE humbly and gratefully acknowledge the stewards of these lands, particularly the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) on whose unceded, traditional and ancestral territories our offices are located.