Adrian Lindayag, a Philippines actor, learned he was living with HIV in 2017. But even before then, he’d felt the weight of the disease.

“I’ve lost friends to AIDS, and that is because of the shame and stigma surrounding the virus… the lack of education because they were afraid to get tested. Or, if they did get tested, they just gave up on their dreams, gave up on their lives.”

At first, he only discussed his diagnosis with his family and medical team. But last year he made the decision to go public, becoming a LoveYourself U=U Ambassador.

U=U is short for Undetectable = Untransmittable. It means that when a person living with HIV, adheres to effective antiretroviral treatment, the virus in their blood reduces to a level that is undectable, bringing the chance of passing the virus on to zero.  

“I honestly didn't know about the concept of U=U before learning about my HIV status. It was my doctor who told me about it, and it changed my life radically. It gave me hope that I'll be able to still live a normal and healthy life,” Mr. Lindayag explained.

Dr. Jakkrapatara Fair Boonruang is a research physician at the Institute of HIV Research and Innovation (IHRI) in Bangkok, Thailand. He reflects that U=U has transformed the way he counsels newly diagnosed patients.

“U=U changed my clients’ lives,” he said. “Before, providers would advise them that antiretroviral treatment will keep them alive and healthy. But there was no sense of returning to who they were before the infections. U=U actually changes that. It means they can fully enjoy sexual intimacy, and mothers can deliver their babies without the fear of transmitting the virus. It has been a mantle of hope and empowerment.”

In 2014, Thai researchers joined peers in Australia and Brazil for the Opposites Attract Study. That research tracked couples in which one person was HIV-negative and the other was living with HIV but had achieved an undetectable viral load through successful treatment.  It confirmed that after two years of unprotected sex, there were no cases of HIV transmission between more than 300 couples. 

Although the U=U concept has been established as scientific fact for over a decade, the word has not gotten out to the wider world. Even some people living with HIV weren’t informed during counselling. Bella Aubree, an Indonesian activist, is one of them. When she learned her HIV status at age 16, she wondered whether she would die soon. She learned about U=U online and the message gave her hope.

“At the time I felt bored with taking ARVs (antiretroviral therapy) every day. But my motivation came from knowing at some point I will be undetectable, which means untransmittable,” she explained.

For Shan Ali, a Dostana Society peer counsellor from Pakistan, while the U=U concept has transformed his health and outlook, the knowledge hasn’t shifted attitudes among his family members.

“In Pakistan right now there are only two sets of people who know about U=U. One is the service providers and the other is people living with HIV. The general public has no idea,” Mr Ali explained. “I have tried bringing my family in for counseling, but they still discriminate towards me. They even make me eat with separate utensils. I feel very isolated and stigmatized. But in my work with community, I feel a sense of purpose.”

Karun Lama, a communications specialist for the Seven Alliance, is HIV-negative but lost both her parents to AIDS. For her, U=U holds the promise of a regular life and family with her boyfriend who is living with HIV.

“In India, where family and relatives' consent is very important, it was very difficult for us at first to make them understand because my partner's family and relatives were scared and concerned for me. They thought that my partner is putting my life at risk and he should get married to a person living with HIV only. But we've sensitized them about U=U and they have begun to understand that we can also live a life together happily and he won't transmit HIV if his viral load is undetectable,” Ms Lama said.

Eamonn Murphy, Regional Director of UNAIDS Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe Central Asia, saluted the courage of these and other community leaders working to raise awareness about the power of the U=U concept.

“Treatment saves lives. But it can also prevent new infections and transform the way we think about people living with HIV and how they see themselves,” said Mr Murphy. “This Zero Discrimination Day, we recognize the critical role of communities in spreading awareness, supporting adherence and challenging stigma and discrimination. We must ensure this essential work is facilitated and financed.”

With support from communities, researchers and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific, Miss Universe 2015, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, UNAIDS is leveraging the U=U message to help end HIV stigma and discrimination. On Zero Discrimination Day (1 March). UNAIDS welcomes everyone to join by sharing these messages and joining the U=U song and dance challenge on social media. #UequalsUDance #EndHIVstigma