U=U: A new kind of status

HIV is not just about being positive or negative. HIV has a new status called U=U (UNDETECTABLE = UNTRANSMITTABLE), where you can be HIV positive but can’t pass the virus onto your partner during sex – if you stick to your treatment.

If an HIV positive person regularly takes their ARVs, they can decrease the amount of HIV in their blood to such a low number that it becomes UNDETECTABLE. If the HIV is undetectable, it cannot be passed on to their sexual partner and then it becomes UNTRANSMITTABLE.

An HIV positive person who starts and stays on ARVs can achieve U=U in just 6 months. However, they must continue taking ARVs to maintain their new status and check their viral load routinely.

Today we not only remember and honour those we have lost in the fight against the HIV epidemic but we can also celebrate just how far we have come in treatment and prevention.

For free ARVs and support in becoming U=U in Joburg, NMB and Buffalo City, email or call/WhatsApp Engage Men’s Health on 082 607 1686.