HIV Science: Undetectable equal Untransmittable U=U

U = U means individuals who are virally suppressed cannot pass HIV to their partners. Strongly underpinned by science, U=U has been strongly emphasized and projected at the ongoing 24th International AIDS Conference. Moreover, stakeholders including governments have been urged to broadcast and adopt this groundbreaking scientific revelation to inform policy and interventions. U=U is such a big deal for the HIV response because of its far-reaching consequences.

First and foremost, it defeats the pillars of HIV stigma because stigma stems primarily from the notion that PLHIV are capable of and do transmit the virus to others, especially their sexual partners. However, U=U, defeats that notion because at viral suppression, a PLHIV’s ability to transmit the virus is effectively eliminated.

Additionally, U=U is an encouragement to HIV testing and treatment uptake because as asserted by a service provider, newly diagnosed patients no longer asks ‘when am I going to die’ but ‘when will I attain viral suppression.’ U=U also presents mothers and potential mothers the choice to breastfeed their babies without fear of passing the virus to them. U=U makes the dream of zero new HIV infections and zero AIDS-related deaths a close reality and it is recognized as giant leap to ending AIDS.

U=U has been highly and forcefully projected at the ongoing AIDS 2022 conference and touted as the foundation for ending HIV and AIDS.

While U=U constitutes a stigma reducing presentation of the science, HIV stigma remains a barrier to the dissemination and uptake of the message in some health service centers.