Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH is an infectious disease specialist with a focus on LGBTQAI communities. He is the Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC.
Ask Me Anything About Sexual Health: For Healthcare Providers is a video series that covers HIV and STI testing as part of routine healthcare, HIV stigma, PrEP, U=U and having open conversations with patients about sexual health.
This video is a joint production of KFF’s GREATER THAN HIV and CDC’s LET’S STOP HIV TOGETHER. This information is shared for educational purposes and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. The views expressed are those of the featured medical professional and reflect information available to that professional at the time of filming. Always consult a healthcare provider for any personal health decisions.
The marks “CDC” and “Let’s Stop HIV Together” are owned by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services and are used with permission. Use of these logos is not an endorsement by HHS or CDC of any particular product, service, or enterprise.
TRANSCRIPT:
It is one of the most amazing and liberating conversations that you can have with a person living with HIV.
I’ll just give a great story. I remember very early on when U=U was something that we started to discuss with patients talking to a woman who had HIV for decades about U=U. And, seeing her light up and say “I’m desirable” was one of the most amazing experiences that I’ve had as a clinician.
So, I encourage you to talk to people about U=U, reminding them that by keeping themselves healthy and maintaining an undetectable viral load, they’re also keeping their sexual partners healthy.
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