Excellent progress on hiv

[StealthPolarBear]

here
A few years ago they announced that people hiv+ on treatment had a life expectancy equal to the rest of the population. Now this. It's amazing, brilliant news.

I know!!! What a time to be alive!!!

I have a friend on prep and he's doing well

Excellent
In my lifetime, hiv has gone from being a death sentence to a serious chronic condition. Its amazing

I agree this is great news @StealthPolarBear - thanks for posting. Probably also worth mentioning - as HIV can potentially affect everyone, not just gay guys - there have also been studies including hetero couples proving the same thing (Partner)

We now have same life expectancy, U=U, can have babies that are neg, we have PrEP and PEP, meds are getting better - dual therapy is becoming approved as well as triple therapy so less drugs, will have injectables soon instead of pills, and cure research studies are being done all the time which includes prevention vaccination.

So lucky to be living with HIV today as opposed to years back!

Glad to hear it hivpos and that studies behave shown similar results for heterosexual couples.
I don't want to downplay the disease at all, I am sure it has a huge impact on health and life. But the progress has just been so fast.

You’re not downplaying it at all Stealth...anything that raises awareness of how it is living with HIV nowadays is only a good thing. Granted - mentally it is pretty challenging, especially for those of us who remember the tombstone ads, but we are so incredibly lucky that, as you say, progress has been amazing 😀

It is great news for all survivors - cos' that is what we are; some of us will still have physical and mental health issues to deal despite the exciting medication. Becoming H+ve changed my life in so many ways.
But, even though I managed to move on to a new long-term relationship, the anxiety of passing it on to my partner has always been in the forefront of my mind & his. This U=U stuff is finally starting sink in, which means we can be more spontaneous like the rest of the world. And it's nice to know that we are not dangerous

@cantstopspreadingthenews . I’m really lucky I think as I was diagnosed 2 years ago so I’ve never seen myself as a survivor as such Due to it now being known as a chronic illness as opposed to the possible death sentence it used to be. I really feel for those who were diagnosed years back and for those who did indeed survive but experienced mental and physical issues.

Great respect to you and being able to have a long term relationship, and now with as much spontaneity as you like 😀. I do wonder if U=U is more difficult for those diagnosed years back to accept, even though studies proving it have been shown for many years

Weirdly, I’m more likely to contract something off someone I have sex with than they me now! As for dangerous, I remember when my DD hesitated before taking a sip from my glass just after I’d been diagnosed..was great to be able to tell her she was at no risk!

Yes, is it harder to accept as a long-term survivor.

However, things are ever changing I remember when I had 4+ tablets to take, plus others for anxiety & depression + any other shit that was going on too. Now I take only the 3 in one tab - hurrah - I still hate it - and have to work at being a good patient!
You are a newbie, so stick with it, and remember there is still lots of support out there, cos' it's needed - by us to keep going when times get tough cos' they still do at times.
Take care