George M. Johnson @iamgmjohnson is a writer based in the Washington, D.C., area. He has written for Huffpost, Ebony.com, Pride.com and Diverseeducation.com, and has a monthly column in A&U magazine.
I remember when I first heard the statement in 2017: the science-based evidence that stated people living with HIV taking antiretroviral medication who had attained an undetectable viral load no longer transmitted the virus. The slogan “U=U” (undetectable equals untransmittable) from that moment took on a life of its own—and I was all for it. I wrote about it, spoke about it, and even hit the streets to protest to ensure people were given access to this important breakthrough in HIV work. Now I feel differently. Three years later, the fight to reduce stigma using “U=U” as a framework has become nothing more than a gesture to prove that the bodies of people living with HIV are safe to have sex with, and I believe it has added another layer of oppression to Black people’s plight in the HIV epidemic.
Being an activist and advocate in this space for some time now, I’m always going to watch movements founded with white leadership with a critical eye—especially when HIV is an epidemic centered on Black queer folks, cisgender women, and transgender people. Movements seen through a white lens often have a blind eye to the most vulnerable and those who will be most affected. This movement is no different. The same people who are often left out of conversations around barriers to treatment are the same who are most harmed by a movement centering the optimal outcome—viral suppression as a marker of health above and beyond anything else.
It is true that being undetectable is what is recommended by every major medical and public health entity. However, undetectable doesn’t equal healthy, nor is it a status that, once attained, is always manageable—especially for Black queer and fem people. Furthermore, due to religious beliefs, inability to use treatment, barriers to care, or personal choice, we know that not everyone will be undetectable. That should be protected, and not othered. We should always be taking an approach to those living with HIV that centers the totality of their health, not their status. Read more via the Body