01/12/2020
Today is
And the theme this year is “Global solidarity, shared responsibility”
Admittedly, progression and advancement of HIV treatment in recent years has shown that people today living with a HIV diagnosis now have a normal life expectancy. Effective HIV treatment and maintaining an undetectable viral load means an individual to their partner.
Yet whilst this has been a tough year for everyone - and despite such advances in treatment - 2020 has been especially psychologically strenuous for many living with, or affected by, HIV (e.g. isolation; challenges in accessing health care; thus potentially increasing vulnerability).
From my work at the St James's Hospital Dublin I continue to witness individuals experiencing stigma and self-stigma around HIV. A factor contributing to this is the misinformation amongst society with regards to HIV and how it's transmitted, which can potentially prevent people from accessing services. We can however, normalise HIV testing and tackle HIV stigma:
U=U (undetectable = untransmittable)
In other words, someone who is on effective treatment for HIV cannot pass it on through sexual in*******se.
If you - or a loved one - are affected by HIV and feel the need for counselling support, reach out for that assistance, acceptance, empathy and non-judgment that you deserve.
Don’t suffer in isolation.
www.crystallise.ie
