In 2024, the United States helped to provide HIV treatment to more than 20 million people around the world. It tested 84 million people for the virus and provided preventive care for several million more. All of that changed in late January, when 270,000 health-care workers, who were supported by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), were told to stop all patient care. Although the administration had characterized it as a pause and says that it has resumed some of PEPFAR’s funding, the future of the programme is in serious doubt. If global health funding is not restored, researchers estimate that by 2030, there could be as many as 11 million extra HIV infections and 3 million extra deaths due to AIDS (see ‘Imminent disaster’). Some estimate as many as 15 million deaths by 2040. In his Budget on June 2nd 2025 he ended ALL CDC HIV PREVENTION PROGRAMS.
The news each day is horrifying and can only get worse as the US, once the leader in this field and had previously always assumed responsibility for helping so many third-world countries deal with the pandemic. Searching the newspapers daily to see if there is any glimmer of hope anywhere has become such a depressing routine, but to our great dellght . one day we actually found some.
In Ireland the administrative Health Service Executive (HSA) is collaborating with the The Poz Vibe Tribe and releasing the second season of the ‘You, Me and HIV’ campaign. It is a powerful and important initiative that addresses the stigma and misconceptions around HIV in Ireland. The short videos feature a person living with HIV having an open discussion with a loved one about their thoughts and lived experiences.
That is a huge aspect that ‘You, Me and HIV’ is trying to communicate. There is much misunderstanding and misconceptions to the point that many people aren’t aware that those with effective treatment and medication cannot pass HIV to their sexual partners. With the treatment, the viral load is so low that it is undetectable; ‘undetectable’ equals ‘untransmittable’, U=U.
In another video, Veda and fellow Poz Vibe host Robbie Lawlor discuss Ireland meeting the goals for HIV. “We can be the very first country in the whole world to reach our 2030 goals. And that’s zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths, and finally, zero stigma and discrimination, and that’s what this campaign is all about,” Lawlor said. They continue by reminding people that they should get tested if they are sexually active,recommending sexualwellbeing.ie to get access to free at-home testing kits.
In a third video, twin siblings Adrian and Erika discuss how having more information and being properly educated can make HIV less scary, recalling Adrian’s diagnosis and how scary it was because they didn’t really know anything about the virus. Similarly, Kiro and Thiago, husbands and owners of LGBTQ+ barbershop Queer Hawk, in the fourth episode discuss how Kiro’s diagnosis was a test for their relationship, in part because of all the unknowns. However, they persevered due to their love and commitment to each other.
Veda Lady spoke with GCN about the importance of the campaign: “This campaign really brings a tear to my eyes, it’s all about love, romantic love, familial love & the love that we have for our tribe and our community,’ “I have shed many tears over the years because of HIV and AIDS. Most recently because of the U.S. cuts to foreign aid and the three to four million lives now at risk of dying of AIDS related illness in the global south. In sharp contrast here in Ireland, this campaign makes me teary with pride because of the beauty of what we have created together and fills me with hope, that we can make things better for people living with HIV all over the globe.”
‘You, Me and HIV’ shares these stories and conversations to encourage people to learn more about HIV in order to prevent stigma and ensure everyone can live happy and healthy lives.
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See ALL the episodes FREE in https://www.youtube.com/@PozVibeTribe
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