The U=U movement continues to free people living with HIV from stigma, fear, and shame. Here’s how it changed one man’s life.
U=U.
Huh? Could it be a math equation, possibly Greek letters, or is it a secret code? The above may look familiar to you, but for many of us it may not. What in the world does this mean?
Well, U=U is an HIV movement that means undetectable equals untransmittable. The campaign references people living with HIV who take daily meds and who have an undetectable level of the virus. They are not infectious. They cannot pass the virus along to someone else. Zero risk. That’s worth repeating: zero risk.
The campaign also impacts stigma around HIV. We know that talking about an issue, bringing it to light, does lower shame and discrimination. U=U can also put an end to the HIV epidemic. It breaks down barriers for more testing, brings care for those who aren’t receiving it, and creates an opportunity to get those who are HIV-positive onto meds. In a capsule, think of U=U as treatment as prevention. If everyone got tested and, if need be, went on antiretrovirals, the epidemic would end!