A Taipei Metro train has been decorated to spread awareness about HIV, aiming to reduce fear, stigma and discrimination surrounding the virus by telling passengers that it is untransmittable when treated.
The themed train was launched by the Taiwan AIDS Society and Persons with HIV/AIDS Rights Advocacy Association of Taiwan (PRAATW), which hosted a news conference today to introduce the project.
Overlapping with World AIDS Day on Monday next week, the train began running on Monday and would continue until Dec. 23.
Photo: CNA
Messages on the train are centered around the international consensus that undetectable equals untransmittable, or “U=U,” meaning people with HIV who have an undetectable viral load cannot transmit the virus, the group said.
Ever since the first AIDS cases appeared in Taiwan, society has discriminated against those with the condition, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said at the news conference.
This makes people at risk afraid to get tested and unable to receive proper treatment, Lin said.
For those with HIV who receive treatment, regularly taking medication is enough to suppress the viral load and prevent transmission, he added.
Countries around the world are succeeding at keeping the viral load undetectable among those receiving treatment by an average of 94 percent, he said.
It is crucial to eliminate stigma around the virus so that those at risk feel comfortable getting tested, he said.
This would help society reach the “three zeros” goal, meaning zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths, he added.
U=U is not merely a slogan — it is a fact recognized by the global medical community, Taiwan AIDS Society secretary-general Lin Kuan-yin (林冠吟) said.
As long as an HIV-positive person takes medication regularly and maintains an undetectable viral load for at least six months, they are no longer capable of transmitting the disease, Lin Kuan-yin said.
The themed train informs people that the virus cannot be transmitted by contact, saliva or sweat, aiming to make them less afraid of those with HIV or AIDS, she said.
PRAATW secretary-general Lin Yi-hui (林宜慧) said that many HIV-positive people are afraid to reveal their status due to social prejudice and may face enormous pressure at work or in relationships, even if they have an undetectable viral load.
As the metro is a part of everyday public life, the themed train would bring people accurate information to help them understand that U=U, stop being afraid and no longer stigmatize HIV-positive people, she said.
Additional reporting by Chiu Chih-jou
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