On stigma
I work with a support group here in Cork and it’s notable the sheer amount of people who still don’t want it known they have HIV, or will not talk about it. I know people who go to the clinic in Dublin because they don’t want to be seen in the clinic in Cork. They are afraid of the ignorance of people. Some of them won’t even talk to their GP, which is vital.
In my own experiences as a gay man, I find other gay men can be very stigmatising. The last time I disclosed my status the reaction was appalling. I was called ‘filth’ -why did filth like me think somebody like him would be interested. I mentioned U=U to him (Undetectable equals Untransmittable - when a person with HIV has a viral load that is not detectable, they cannot pass on HIV through sex.) and, showing how ignorant he was, he said, “someone like you would probably make that up”.
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