By Marisabel Román Afanador, MPHE, CHES
Over the years, science has provided us with new information on effective strategies for addressing sexual health. Treatments for various conditions have been discovered, prevention strategies have been established, and updated information on the epidemiological development of diseases has been provided. In the case of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), some of the most important contributions in recent years have beenpre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment as a biomedical prevention strategy for HIVandthe recognition and validation of Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U), which establishes that a person with an undetectable HIV viral load cannot transmit the virus to their sexual partners if they adhere to their treatment.
This progress has opened up a window of possibilities for pleasure and enjoyment of sexual health for people living with HIV. However, it is necessary to work on implementing new findings and discarding the culture of fear, punishment, prohibition, and guilt. In this regard, we must reevaluate the importance of words when we talk about HIV and safe sexual practices, a topic that is as sensitive as it is important for overall human health.
In light of these new possibilities, people living with HIV want to seek prevention options so they can enjoy sexual activities without feeling guilt or remorse. Many of these individuals have revealed, both anecdotally and through evidence documented by various studies,a heavy burden of moral judgment on the part of clinical care providerstoward their sexual behaviors. This is a very clear trace of the stigma associated with this chronic health condition.These attitudes are part of a necessary and imminent change:we must transform the way we think and talk about sexuality.
The stigmatization of HIV, initially associated with the gay male community, can still be perceived in some general conversations. Worse still, there are still healthcare providers who persist in an approach based on this knowledge, which is not only outdated but also inconsistent. How can we eradicate this way of thinking, which is still rooted in persecution and stigmatization, when we have made progress in other areas of social life?
The proposal is simple: we need to reflect on how we use language and what changes are necessary to make our approaches more assertive. We can start by addressing the sexual health of people living with HIV from a risk perspective: in this case, it is important to offer different strategies for safer sex, especially for people living with HIV. It is important to offer them recognition and validation of sexuality as an important part of human nature that should be exercised freely and wisely. In this way, we move away from the discourse of fear to adopt safe practices, using protective barriers and PrEP.
Changing the way we talk about sex canbe a big challenge for everyone. However, it represents an important step forward in addressing sexual health and HIV prevention in a sensitive and empathetic way, in a simple but very important manner.
The author is a licensed health educator.
Originally published in Metro.
The content on this page is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not replace or substitute for a consultation with a doctor or other healthcare professional.
Related topics
