HIV and dinosaurs? What do you mean? You are correct, HIV has nothing to do with dinosaurs! I may have exaggerated a bit but I am sure it’s not the only wrong fact you have heard about the virus…
Have you ever thought about stereotypes? The more I discover about HIV, the more I realise that it is a victim of clichés… Most of the time it is because people do not take the time to check the information because of various reasons: the lack of interest, self interest, a majority of people equally wrong, or because the information is not accessible or confusing. You can blame it on many different reasons, but one thing is sure, it slows down the path to helping people who need solutions to live a better life.
While I was reading more about HIV I realised that stereotypes of all types are not helping at all! Here are three things you should keep in mind to help end the pandemic:
A better prevention (but people are scared of the letters H-I-V and often relate it to sudden death (dramatic music), the end of the world (even more dramatic music), the end of the life you know and people staring at you or referring to you as the one who has AIDS…). It is very important to share the correct information as much as possible to prevent new infections!
Better support (help people with HIV feel reassured so they can continue living their lives and have access to medication just like any other medication.)
Enhance better legal reforms also based on stereotypes (do you know how many countries do not allow the entry of people with HIV even though their viral load is under control thanks to medication and therefore, have no way of transmitting the virus? Some countries won’t even grant work visas because of your status!)
Stigma and discrimination are therefore slowing down the solutions we have to end the pandemic. In 2021, 85% of people with HIV knew their status! It is a really encouraging number but there is still work to be done! Here are some stereotypes that you can directly throw in the bin (and no one will blame you for not recycling them!) and help us reach international goals!
« HIV is mostly in Africa »: WRONG! The virus is present on every continent on the planet (not sure about Antartica but you know what I mean!). In 2021 there were 20.6 million people living with HIV in Eastern and Southern Africa. In Western and Central Africa there were 5.0 million people, less than in Asia (6.0 million). So it is true that eastern and southern Africa are the regions with a higher number of people living with HIV but it certainly doesn’t mean that HIV is « an African thing » as you may have heard many times. As you can see, it even varies depending on the region on the African continent.
« HIV is about men »: WRONG! In 2021, 54% of people living with HIV were women and girls. Even though there might be different key population affected by HIV depending on the region, the virus certainly doesn’t differentiate men and women! What does this mean? If you are a woman or a girl, you also have to be very careful! 49% of all new infections in 2021 were in women and girls.
« HIV is barely a thing now... » : WRONG! Since the beginning of the pandemic the virus has infected 84.2 million people! In 2021 it infected 1.5 million people all over the world. We do have ways of limiting the effects of HIV but the war against the virus is still not over!
« Once infected by HIV you can start digging your tomb »: WRONG! Stop being so dramatic! In 2010, 7.8 million people had access to antiretrovirals and by the end of December 2021, we reached 28.7 million people (we believe there are 38.4 million people living with HIV around the world). All these people can continue living their lives taking care of themselves, therefore taking care of others! Keep in mind that AIDS related deaths have reduced 68% since the peak in 2004!
« HIV mostly affects gays »: WRONG! Very wrong! 70% of HIV infections globally include people who inject drugs, sex workers and their clients, gay men and other men who have sex with men and transgender people. But what about the other 30%? Well, it includes the rest of the population. Check our post on the situation of HIV around the world HERE.
That is it for now! We are saving some silly stereotypes for another day! Sorry…
What is important to remember? If you have ever said or thought any of these examples, you were in some way slowing down progress towards a HIV-free world. But it is never too late! You can evolve like a Pokemon and the next time you hear someone say something like this, you can prove them wrong (nicely!). Keep in mind that by avoiding them, can help save lives! Can we count on you?
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