AIDS Vancouver campaign focuses on the "new face of HIV"
The logo for AIDS Vancouver's "Undetectable" campaign.
Nov 28, 2014 - An awareness campaign that AIDS Vancouver executive
director Brian Chittock describes as "a new way of talking about HIV" will be highlighted this year as the organization marks
World AIDS Day.
The campaign, called The New Face of HIV-What it Means to be Undetectable, refers to cases in which people have been diagnosed with
HIV, but the virus is undetectable in their bloodstream as a result of anti-retroviral treatment.
"Their immune system is not compromised anymore because of the anti-retroviral treatment, and they're actually as healthy as anybody
else," Chittock told the Straight by phone. "So it's just a new way of thinking and talking about people who are actually
undetectable."
The logo for the campaign features a "reimagining" of the traditional red ribbon used to promote HIV awareness, with
disappearing red dots symbolizing the HIV virus after anti-retroviral treatment.
According to AIDS Vancouver, most people with an undetectable viral load have a non-compromised immune system, will live a normal
lifespan, and are very unlikely to transmit the virus sexually after being undetectable for six months. (The first two years of an
ongoing European study has so far found no transmissions within couples from a partner with an undetectable viral load.)
The organization's latest awareness and education campaign is also focused on prevention and ensuring that people get on anti-retrovirals
quickly after an HIV diagnosis. The Treatment as Prevention approach pioneered in B.C. ensures that people living with HIV have access
to treatment at the earliest stages of infection.
"Treatment as Prevention has worked really, really effectively, and we want to continue to promote that because it makes people
healthy," Chittock said.
"If we get this virus under control, we can stop new infections from happening, and that's our primary goal."
He added the campaign has also been empowering for people living with HIV.
"That's what I think is more important, is the actual empowerment that it's going to give people, and perhaps even change
stigma," he said.
That stigma associated with HIV is still prevalent, Chittock noted.
"It hasn't changed in the 30-some odd years we've been fighting this virus, and we're hoping that this will, by thinking about
it in a different way-that people who are on medications, regularly seeing their doctor, [and] have an undetectable viral load,
are actually very healthy and are able to live a healthy, normal lifestyle."
AIDS Vancouver will be hosting an open house at 1107 Seymour Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on December 1. Information on the
undetectable campaign, in addition to other current initiatives and research, will be available.
The event will feature a Red Ribbon Awards presentation, and appearances from Vancouver musician Bif Naked and sketch comedian and
Amazing Race Canada participant Ryan Steele.
The open house is also a donations drive for the organization's holiday grocery program, which serves more than 800 clients.
A "wish list" of food items is detailed on the AIDS Vancouver website.
###
Source: https://www.straight.com/news/778726/aids-vancouver-campaign-focuses-new-face-hiv
"Reproduced with permission - The Georgia Straight"
The Georgia Straight
About the Georgia Straight
Canada's Largest Urban Weekly
No other city publication knows more about Vancouver than the Georgia Straight. Established as the lifestyle and entertainment weekly in Vancouver for over 40 years, the Georgia Straight is an integral part of the active urban West Coast lifestyle with over 804, 000 readers (2009 Angus Reid).
Every Thursday, the Georgia Straight delivers an award-winning editorial package of features, articles, news and reviews. www.straight.com
For more HIV and AIDS News visit...
Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News |
