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anon

"There is evidence that being undetectable may reduce your risk of HIV transmission by nearly 96%." This figure is at the very low end of how much effective HAART reduces the likelihood of transmission and has led people to make statements like, "There's still a four percent chance." This is hardly an enticing prospect, and it contributes to the stigma experienced by HIV-positive individuals. We've seen in prior and subsequent studies that the actual incidence of transmission may be zero when we're talking about people who are not experiencing treatment failure, a group that includes virtually every "undetectable" that is not starting HIV treatment or experiencing an interruption. It is "prevention" like this that promotes criminalization, rationalizing the prosecution of HIV+ individuals for engaging in behaviors that are probably less risky than a commercial airline flight. I find it peculiar that the most pessimistic figure was used in discussing the value of undetectability, but one of the most optimistic figures was used to advocate PrEP. These videos can't really be said to present either a conservative approach to transmission that favors scaring people into safer behaviors, or a liberal one that might alleviate the social problems of life with HIV. I have a very hard time wrapping my head around this discrepancy without concluding the worst about these doctors and what "HIV prevention" has become.

May 23, 2015