Bruce Richman’s fight since 2012 has been to make the message “U = U” (Undetectable = Untransmittable or Indétectable = Intransmissible) known to as many people as possible. “U=U means that a person living with HIV who is on treatment and has an undetectable viral load has no risk of transmitting HIV to their partner. I repeat, no risk and the WHO, which is present in the room, has confirmed this zero risk in 2023.
It took a lot of effort to get there, a lot of incredible research and research participants, and a lot of advocacy,” recalls Bruce Richman. “What’s so exciting about U=U is that I’ve been living with HIV for over 20 years, and I never imagined that one day I would be able to love, have sex, conceive children, without fear. Think about it. This fear was present in the most intimate moments of our lives and now U=U frees us. It’s simply incredible. It’s a revolution to be able to live and love without fear of transmitting HIV.” For the man who founded, in 2016, the Prevention Access Campaign (PAC), an initiative based in New York which aims to promote “U = U” around the world, this concept goes well beyond individual benefit, it is a public health tool: “The big news that I want to share with you is that education about U = U has an impact on all three 95 [objectifs fixés par l’Onusida : 95 % de toutes les PVVIH dépistées, 95 % de toutes les PVVIH dépistées sous traitement et 95 % de toutes les PVVIH sous traitements en charge virale indétectable]. Let’s focus on the first 95, which is screening.
When you include U=U in your drug testing campaigns or on a sign like I saw recently at a Walgreens pharmacy in the United States. This reduces people’s anxiety associated with HIV, making them more likely to get tested. The data shows that it is very important to include this in your screening awareness tools. Of course, we want people, when they receive a diagnosis, to know not only that they can live a healthy life, but also that if they receive a negative result, it’s good news. They can then start taking Prep, living their lives without worrying about HIV. And if the result is positive, they can start treatment early and lead a healthy life without fear of passing HIV to anyone,” emphasizes Bruce Richman.
For the activist, the strategy of fear regarding HIV is counterproductive: “It is crucial to give hope to people when they are diagnosed, to direct them towards care to avoid falling into despair, which I I, myself, lived in 2003 when I was diagnosed with HIV and there was not yet the concept of U=U. This is why I am so passionate about this topic. There are young people around the world who receive stigmatizing and frightening information about HIV. Imagine receiving a positive HIV diagnosis and associating it with death. We absolutely must update the information intended for these young people, it is really very important” insists Bruce Richman. To illustrate his point, Bruce Richman cites a recent Grindr campaign on U=U: “There’s a great example that just happened. Grindr spread the U=U message to 13 million users on Zero Stigma Day to reduce stigma and
encourage screening. And the app repeated this gesture on a few occasions afterward.
I would like to say a big congratulations to them for that.” And the activist concludes on a note of hope: “The lesson to be learned is that U = U is a reality. Believe me, it’s a new day for people living with HIV and ending the epidemic. We can all get involved by sharing this U=U message.”
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