Birth of U=U = People losing fear over HIV testing

This is the first in a series of four Q&A posts capturing founder Bruce Richman’s perspectives on our movement to end HIV stigma with U=U, Prevention Access Campaign, and all of us. Recently he talked with us on DAP LIVE.

Question: How did this all get started? I know for you, it was a very personal experience that brought the science behind this to the forefront. You've talked about it being your calling.

Answer: Absolutely. I learned that because I had an undetectable viral load, I couldn't transmit HIV through sex back in 2012, and that was nine years after my diagnosis. And it changed everything for me because I never thought that I could have sex or conceive children, or just even be intimate with someone without that fear of passing on HIV. And it just, it just rocked my world.

But then I found out that so many people weren't being told about it and they were being told that they were infectious--and they weren't infectious. And it was happening on a massive scale.

So that's kind of how this all started happening is they're talking to other people who also knew U=U is true. And I found some wonderful people in the field who were in leadership positions who would join with me. And in summer of 2016, we created a consensus statement with scientists to confirm that U=U is true. And then we took that statement and went out and got influential people and organizations like Desert AIDS Project to sign on and to join us endorsing that when you're undetectable and you're on treatment, you cannot transmit HIV through sex. U=U.

Find out more about Bruce Richman, U=U, and Prevention Access Campaign at preventionaccess.org

You can watch the 20 minute interview with Steven by clicking here.

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