Dear Editor,
HIV testing rates remain low due to the stigma surrounding the virus. Many people live for years unaware that they have HIV because they are afraid to get tested.
Laws criminalizing those who do not disclose their HIV status only make matters worse by further discouraging testing. These laws are based on 40 year old science. They are stuck in the 80’s. We need to change these laws, and end the stigma associated with their very existence.
By destigmatizing HIV and building trust between patients and healthcare providers, more people will feel comfortable getting tested regularly. This is critical to slowing the spread of the virus and connecting people to the life-saving treatments now available.
Let’s work to educate the public, support those living with HIV, and create an environment where people choose testing not out of fear, but because they understand it benefits our entire community.
To learn more about our efforts to modernize Indiana’s outdated HIV laws, go to https://hivmodernizationmovement.org/.
To learn more about a national #StuckInThe80s billboard campaign being now being run in Indiana, go to https://hivisnotacrime-etaf.org/
Sincerely,
Professor Peacock
aka C. Todd Fuqua
Artivist, Connector and Reflector
The Magical Storybook of Professor Peacock 