Factors associated with perceived accuracy of the Undetectable = Untransmittable

[Jim Allen]

So in short its the efficacy of treatment as prevention (TasP) and the messaging campaign, Undetectable = Untransmittable and yet the remaining doubts under the population.

Not surprised really ... 2 short years of fluffy U=U aimed at sexual health clinics, ASO's and NGO's oh an social media if you look for it but with little main media attention and nearly 21 years odd consistent and proven TaSP evidence aimed at doctors. (everyone goes on about Partner study, yes it was important but no not alone) is simply not going to undo overnight decades of publicly telling people AIDS is going to get and kill you or television adds from John Hurt that your going to die of ignorance.

Its takes time and effort to change a message ingrained in peoples memory, we are still educating you can't get HIV from toilet seats, it also does not help (But it should be reported on) the odd nutcase that has media coverage as they go off meds and have sex with people.

So yeah ....

Full write-up
https://www.poz.com/article/hiv-negative-men-still-choosing-stigma-over-science

According to a recent study in the Journal of the International AIDS Society, a disturbingly high amount of HIV-negative gay men doubt the veracity of the statement “Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).” If you haven’t heard that motto before, it’s pretty simple. People living with HIV who are on medication and whose viral loads have reached undetectable status cannot transmit the virus to their sexual partners. The motto arose after the PARTNER study showed in 2016 that, among over 1,100 mixed-status couples who had condomless sex, not one HIV-negative partner acquired HIV from their HIV-positive partner.

The 2018 study on U=U ended up recruiting 12,222 eligible gay and bisexual men to share how they really felt about the slogan, which is gaining consensus among the medical and scientific communities, though that consensus has not extended to the general population. The men recruited were asked to give four possible answers on how accurate they believe the slogan to be: completely accurate, somewhat accurate, somewhat inaccurate and completely inaccurate.

Only one-third of HIV-negative men and men who didn’t know their status believed the statement to be either completely or somewhat accurate, compared to 70 percent of HIV-positive men. Among HIV-negative men, those who were on PrEP, those who tested for HIV every six months and those who engaged in condomless anal sex with HIV-positive men were more likely to believe that “U=U.”

HIV-negative men need to do better. On a purely human level, the phenomena behind the data is that HIV-negative men refuse to see HIV-positive people as anything other than a virus floating in their blood. When a microscopic virus eclipses someone’s personhood, then something’s gone awry.

Study mentioned: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29334178

[leatherman]

OPINIONS
HIV-Negative Men Are Still Choosing Stigma Over Science

A recent study confirms that fear of HIV continues to trump scientific knowledge of the virus.

When a microscopic virus eclipses someone’s personhood, then something’s gone awry.

Though it’s easy to see the root of this long-held stigma, that doesn’t excuse its survival. In the era of U=U, believing that HIV-positive people with an undetectable viral load can pass the virus is akin to denying climate change. The scientific consensus is there. It’s you who are choosing to ignore it based on your own firmly-held beliefs.

I'm glad this is an "opinion" piece as the headline and numerous lines within strike me as being written by a very tone-deaf HIV-neg person. Many people (MSM and the general population) are simply ignorant of the science, and that's not stigma, discrimination, denying climate change, or wrong long held beliefs, that's just a lack of education resources promoting PrEP/TasP properly.

2 short years of fluffy U=U aimed at sexual health clinics, ASO's and NGO's oh an social media if you look for it but with little main media attention and nearly 21 years odd consistent and proven TaSP evidence aimed at doctors.

just like I complain at World AIDS Day, there simply isn't any mainstream message about HIV anymore. Exactly how are people (like black women, latinx) supposed to learn about U=U? Much less people who aren't clients at an ASO or a FQHC (federally qualified health center)? How many general practitioners talk about sex with their patients, much less talk about PrEP/ TasP?

"If you haven’t heard that motto before, it’s pretty simple"

Although deep down inside the author understands at first that people probably haven't heard of U=U, he goes on to berate those people the whole rest of the piece.


And then let me mention the unmentionable - that (untreated) HIV is still the same deadly terminal disease that it's always been. People who don't get treatment, don't adhere to treatment, or get treatment way too late die all the time. The rate of HIV/AIDS deaths is not zero. In the southern states, approximately 15% of those diagnosed with HIV or AIDS pass away within 5 yrs. (there's the real stigma for you - lack of access to healthcare, fear of doctors/meds, and not being able to remain adherent). In the long run, people are simply scared of HIV (and well they should be). Unfortunately that fear probably defines the other side of serosorting - hiv-neg with hiv-neg

[Jim Allen]

Fully agree with you.

Been thinking this for one a lot...

This was one of those rare blogs or opinion pieces that really did bother me, just not fully sure why and prehaps it should not or simply put I should just not read crap. Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one right . 

Perhaps its the presentation of the opinion linked to a "study" been read by the writer and so the reader put more value on the opinion ... i don't know or prehaps its that overall that the headline and write-up will get attention but the actually headline is appalling, and some of the comments (judgments) come across to me as someone with a complete lack of understanding surrounding the complexity of the HIV crisis faced today, the history and shows a lack of basic understanding of the human thought process and the channels of information people are exposed to in day to day life.

Anyhow I do agree with your thoughts on this.

just like I complain at World AIDS Day, there simply isn't any mainstream message about HIV anymore. Exactly how are people (like black women, latinx) supposed to learn about U=U? Much less people who aren't clients at an ASO or a FQHC (federally qualified health center)? How many general practitioners talk about sex with their patients, much less talk about PrEP/ TasP?
 

Yeah. If I was not living with HIV I would very much doubt i would have noticed anything about U=U.  It would not come up in my social groups, my social media and its not in the news, television (Does anyone watch that any more), Netflix etc.

When I did the fundraising at work and presented on "living with HIV" people fell of the chairs when I talked about U=U and TaSP.

Although deep down inside the author understands at first that people probably haven't heard of U=U, he goes on to berate those people the whole rest of the piece.


And then let me mention the unmentionable - that (untreated) HIV is still the same deadly terminal disease that it's always been. People who don't get treatment, don't adhere to treatment, or get treatment way too late die all the time. The rate of HIV/AIDS deaths is not zero. In the southern states, approximately 15% of those diagnosed with HIV or AIDS pass away within 5 yrs. (there's the real stigma for you - lack of access to healthcare, fear of doctors/meds, and not being able to remain adherent). In the long run, people are simply scared of HIV (and well they should be). Unfortunately that fear probably defines the other side of serosorting - hiv-neg with hiv-neg

 
Indeed still far too many people still being left behind, diagnosis late, and with no access to treatment and healthcare.

[leatherman]

linked to a "study" been read by the writer

interestingly I listened in on a webinar today put together by TAG (Treatment Action Group) and NASTAD (National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors) where I heard from the AZ (Arizona) and WA (Washington state) health dpts. They both presented info about their programs to "End The Epidemic", and both explained that surveys, focus groups, and other data gathered showed that one reason prevention wasn't as good as it could be was due to a lack of education about PrEP and TasP. There were no "HIV-Negative Men Choosing Stigma Over Science" but there were HIV-negative men who had never been told about PrEP/TasP. Both states are looking to create a media campaign to address this issue.

speaking of media campaigns, last year the CLT TGA (Charlotte Ryan White Part A Transitional Grant Area) created a campaign for the buses and light rail explaining how everyone has a part in stopping the epidemic. (https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=64037) this year we're creating a new campaign about undetectable/u=u/viral load suppression.