U=U, PrEP and the unrealised promise of ending HIV-related stigma
Nathanael Wells
A *
A Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
Sexual Health - https://doi.org/10.1071/SH23045
Submitted: 6 March 2023 Accepted: 1 June 2023 Published online: 21 June 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
There is now widespread consensus that by reducing HIV viral load to undetectable levels, HIV treatment also eliminates the risk of HIV sexual transmission. Advocates have hoped that eliminating the risk of HIV will be accompanied by a reduction of HIV-related stigma. These hopes have yet to be realised and people living with HIV continue to report stigma and sexual rejection. The burden of challenging HIV-related stigma has largely fallen on people living with HIV. It is time for those who are HIV-negative to also take on some of the burden in challenging HIV stigma.
Keywords: HIV/AIDS, HIV prevention, HIV stigma, living with HIV, PrEP, sexual behaviours, social context, stigma.
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