Robbie DalgettyTo mark World AIDS Day, student Robbie Dalgetty argues that some of us need to reevaluate how we treat people living with HIV & AIDS.
Being HIV negative, it’s hard for me to comprehend what life would be like for people who are living with the virus. However, based on what I have seen in the media ever since Charlie Sheen’s status was reveled I can hazard an educated guess.
It would be awful. And I say this not about actually contracting the virus, but from the stigma society associates with it.
Is it not bad enough that HIV is an incurable virus? Do we really have to reduce the person who has been unfortunate enough to contract it, to no more than a status?
It seems to me that when it comes to HIV you are judged as a whole person on your status – negative people are clean and sexually available, positive people are dirty, undesirable and unwanted.
I hate to admit it but I too once held this view. Why did I believe this? Well because that’s what society told me to think.
The issue with this black and white assessment of HIV is that it not only strips away the individuality of the person who has it, but it creates an attitude towards it that allows the virus to spread. The medium of sweet ignorance.
If caught early enough, HIV doesn’t have to affect a healthy, happy lifestyle.
Based on my own research, its clear that young gay men don’t want to talk about HIV. They not only don’t want to talk about it, it seems they are disinterested in educating themselves about it.
By not knowing the facts or taking the time to learn about the virus and the people who have it, gay men assume that as long as a potential hook up on Grindr has the words “neg since…” on their profile, they are a safe candidate.
Statistically speaking, one can never really know who is and isn’t a safe sex partner since so many men are living with HIV and don’t even know they have it.
HIV shaming seems to be one of the most predominant flaws of the gay community at the moment. Now don’t get me wrong, I totally agree that HIV status is a big deal, and those of us who are lucky enough to be negative, do need to think about the risks to avoid contracting it, but do we really need to be so mean?
There is a plentiful supply of information about HIV online, information that ultimately takes away the need to have an issue with HIV positive men.
For example I had no idea until I researched this topic that if a person is HIV positive but undetectable, the chances of them even being able to pass on the virus are unbelievably slim.
HIV shaming seems to be one of the most predominant flaws of the gay community at the moment.
All of this information is out there and its scientifically proven, so why do we as a society continue to call HIV positive men sluts who had it coming?
If caught early enough, HIV doesn’t have to affect a healthy, happy lifestyle. So why do we view HIV positive men as disgusting undesirables?
Whilst reading up about HIV, I learned a lot about the virus, but the most important thing I learned is this- HIV doesn’t change the guy behind the status.
Condoms aren’t the only form of protection, education is.
Ask yourself, if you were in a relationship and you loved your partner to the moon and back, if he discovered he was positive would you look at him differently? Would you throw away the potential of a happy life with the perfect guy all because of their status?
Its about time we started to care about HIV – no scratch that – its time we started to care about the person living with HIV. Lets throw aside our prejudices and stigmas and actually learned a thing or two.
Condoms aren’t the only form of protection, education is.
Admittedly even I have a long way to go before I can honestly answer the question I just asked you, but realizing that my opinion of HIV positive men is one shaped by society and ignorance is a step in the right direction.
I am HIV negative, but I’m positive something has to change.