Knowledge is power, and a new global study shows that many people with HIV are living strong lives.
In surveying nearly 2,400 people with HIV in 2019 and 2020, the recently published Positive Outlook Study found that the majority of respondents were very aware that undetectable equals untransmittable (or U=U, for short), the medically recognized concept that if a person achieves and maintains viral suppression through their HIV regimen, they cannot transmit the virus to anyone.
By connecting with people in more than 25 countries and across several continents, the survey found that two-thirds had discussed U=U with their doctor or healthcare team. “These individuals were more likely to report a range of positive health outcomes compared to those who were unaware of U=U or had learned about it from other sources,” according to the HIV website Avert.org.
Specifically, those who discussed U=U with their healthcare provider were more likely to adhere to treatment, achieve viral suppression, have positive outcomes regarding their overall sexual health, and actively participate in HIV care. They were also more likely to inform their sexual partners that they were living with HIV. For those who learned about U=U or discussed it with non-medical sources, the information was still beneficial, but their outcomes were not as robust as those of people who discussed it with their doctors.
Black people, people with casual sex partners, and transgender people are more likely to discuss U=U in healthcare settings, and 77 percent of transgender participants reported talking to their doctors about remaining undetectable and unable to transmit the virus. Men who have sex with women and people living in Asia had the lowest rates of discussing U=U with their doctors.
The varying rates of communication among individual groups suggest that personalized communication from clinicians that takes into account cultural and community differences would be more effective. The Positive Perspectives Study also highlights how standardizing and potentially enforcing U=U discussions among healthcare professionals would yield enormous benefits, especially since a significant number of people living with HIV still do not have this conversation with their healthcare providers.
“Providers who care for patients with HIV should universally inform their patients about U=U as part of their routine care,” Sarah Calabrese of George Washington University and Ken Mayer of Harvard Medical School and the Fenway Institute previously wrote in The Lancet HIV . “Communicating the benefits and risks surrounding any treatment is critical to patients’ decision-making, and this benefit of HIV treatment should be no exception.”
From: https://www.hivplusmag.com/undetectable/2021/3/18/talking-your-doctor-about-uu-good-your-health