× Expand Photo credit: Benson Kua

September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Its 2019 theme is “the conversation about HIV is changing.” Indeed, it should be. Gay men are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. Yet, although incredible strides have been made in the infection’s treatment (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over half of the men with HIV are virally suppressed meaning they cannot transmit the virus), communicating the message of prevention and care to certain vulnerable populations remains problematic.

Yuri Keegstra addressed the problem when accepting the Shepherd Express LGBTQ Progress Award for HIV Awareness on behalf of the activist group ACT UP. Young gays, he said, avoid getting on PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) because they fear being labeled as “hoes.” That odd irony stems from cultural conflicts that stymie the best of HIV prevention strategies.

But all is not lost. A friend once set up his social media page to allow his followers to ask him questions anonymously. And ask they did. The questions began innocuously enough, asking about his art (he’s a choreographer), favorite female singer and such. Gradually, the queries grew bolder and about more personal things: Was he single? Is the guy he’s seen with his boo? Some confessed secret crushes and other curious minds got intimate, asking about his sex life. He replied to all with candor (though to some with impatience). He then posted an extended statement revealing that, for years, he has been HIV+. His viral load, he wrote, was undetectable and hence the virus was non-transmittable. He talked about the challenges of HIV+ stigma, the importance of testing and the ultimate treatability of HIV. Essentially, he made the case for knowing one’s status while offering an encouraging message for those struggling with the idea of being tested or being HIV+.

Information and Consequence

I don’t know whether or not he used the anonymous Q&A to intestinally bait his social media friends and then, once he had their attention, to culminate the exercise with his grand reveal. Either way, he effectively changed the conversation. His HIV+ status may have shocked some, but as a well-known community figure, his honesty probably triggered more thought on the matter than any TV PSA or billboard campaign designed to accomplish the same thing.

Coincidentally, recent celebrity true confessions about their HIV+ status have also reinforced the message, supporting local voices and reminding those at risk of their options. Dating apps, too, have added user profile options to include “on PrEP” and “HIV+ non-detectable.” Cumulatively, by changing the conversation from stigma and fear to information and consequence, these all improve our chances of stopping HIV/AIDS.

Meanwhile, my friend and his circle are using social media to announce their participation in the AIDS Walk Wiosconsin and 5K Run 2019 on Saturday, Oct. 5. It’s the 30th anniversary of that event. Many of these young men weren’t yet born when the first AIDS Walk took place. Just like the millions of millennials who marched in last week’s international climate change protests, that same generation’s engagement in AIDS/HIV activism is reassuring. They’ll join the many long-term veterans like AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin volunteer “Bim” Florek, who celebrates his 30th year as AIDS Walk stage manager.