AUSTRALIA has seen major strides in the advancement of HIV treatment and prevention, leading to a greater awareness of the virus. But has this awareness led to a fresh perspective on living with HIV?
Ruan was eating breakfast on a rooftop terrace in Spain when an email popped up on his phone telling him he had HIV. He immediately thought he only had one or two years to live.
Sitting with five of his friends, Ruan kept silent. The disbelief, fear, and shame all weighing down on him within a matter of seconds.
“I was an absolute douchebag, taking risks and not looking after myself,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 tell anyone at all for months.鈥�
Campbell was young and felt invincible before he got the test results that revealed he was HIV positive.
The moment the doctor phoned him to come in for his result, he knew he鈥檇 contracted it.
鈥淚 hadn鈥檛 thought about it at all before then, I was king of the world and nothing could defeat me,鈥� he said.
鈥淢y initial thought after I found out was 鈥榶ou bloody idiot鈥�, because it鈥檚 not something that magically happens, it was something I did.
鈥淧eople I knew were at funerals every weekend and their friends were dying, but I wasn鈥檛 too worried because I was young and healthy at the time.鈥�
Campbell and Ruan knew little about HIV before they were diagnosed with it, but both perceived it as a virus that would significantly shorten one鈥檚 life.
The difference? Campbell was diagnosed in 1989, and Ruan in 2014.
Since the early eighties when the first case of AIDS was identified in Australia, society has seen a number of ground-breaking advancements in both the prevention and treatment of HIV.
From the first trials of the drug Retrovir (AZT) to treat HIV-positive people to the introduction of pre and post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent the contraction of HIV, the sector has seen great strides towards the elimination of new infections.
Gay and bisexual men have also been exposed to a proliferation of sexual health campaigns that educate them on safe sex and the reality of living with HIV.
However, irrespective of the decade in which one is diagnosed, the stigma around the virus can still lead to fear 鈥� and in some cases, complacency 鈥� among members of both the negative and positive communities.
Campbell found out about his diagnosis at the height of the AIDS crisis, when a fictitious Grim Reaper was isolating and shaming gay men and their sex lives in front of the entire country.
鈥淓verybody thought it was a death sentence, but I was lucky to be on the cusp of it being that, right before antiretrovirals came in,鈥� he said.
鈥淧eople weren鈥檛 dropping like flies like they were in the US, but there were sick people around and they were always in the news.鈥�
While so much has changed since Australians first saw the Grim Reaper warn the community people about 鈥榞ays and IV drug users鈥� in a shocking advertising campaign, Campbell believes the fear and stigma around the virus still persist.
Having done work in the sector, he has encountered many people with reactions to finding out about their HIV diagnosis that mirror those in the eighties, despite all of the advancements.
鈥淚 still see the same kind of drama, panic, and self-destructive behaviour that I saw around me back then 鈥� just less of the 鈥業鈥檓 going to die鈥� stuff,鈥� he said.
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 ever going to happen to them, so it鈥檚 like they don鈥檛 have a coping mechanism for it.鈥�
Campbell believes the educational sexual health campaigns disseminated by organisations in the sector like ACON, the Victorian AIDS Council, and Living Positive Victoria can only go so far in removing fear and stigma.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nothing to do with education, there鈥檚 more than enough awareness out there,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nobody in Australia that doesn鈥檛 know how you get HIV now, unless you鈥檙e living under a rock or a complete dickhead.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to change many people鈥檚 perceptions until we find a cure for the human propensity for denial.鈥�
Ruan believes many gay and bisexual men are educated on the advancements, and are aware they can go on treatment and live a long life if diagnosed with the virus.
However, he said no one knows the reaction they鈥檒l have until they are diagnosed, and this has led to complacency in the community.
鈥淚 think many people that are diagnosed today know they can go on treatment 鈥� there鈥檚 this sense in the gay scene, that 鈥榠f I get it, so what? I can go on the pill鈥�,鈥� he said.
鈥淣o one knows how they will psychologically respond to their diagnosis until it happens.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a death sentence anymore but it is a life sentence.鈥�
Campbell has encountered a similar complacency.
鈥淭here鈥檚 more than enough awareness that it doesn鈥檛 kill you anymore, so it goes from denial to 鈥榠t doesn鈥檛 matter, it鈥檚 not that bad鈥�,鈥� he said.
Despite not knowing much about the virus prior to his diagnosis, Ruin said working in the sector afterwards and meeting incredible activists and members of the community made him want to spread as much awareness as possible.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 say I became positive, I say I lost my negativity,鈥� he said.
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