Post by phap322 on Mar 24, 2016 18:34:27 GMT -8
Here's the story:
Title: Discrimination or Not?
A wellness center (which will not be named to protect the center itself) will soon open in ILOILO CITY. The center will address "responsible erotic needs" of the gay community. The wellness center has an account on Grindr (a gay social application) which serves as medium for promotion and advertisement of the said soon-to-rise wellness center. Probably the center's main attractions are it's amenities that include different kinds of rooms that offer different kinds recreational services such as a bath house, a restaurant and a bar. In my understanding, the center will only cater to the needs of its members, thus a membership registration is required. One of the requirement is a recent HIV testing result. It was disheartening to know that HIV positive individuals will not be granted membership.
As a concerned member of the PLHIV and LGBT community, I wrote a letter to the administration:
Greetings!
I am an HIV advocate, and for persons living with HIV ( PLHIV), who happen to constitute a portion of the LGBT community and are also those who need acceptance in the community, are, like many others face a much greater discrimination as they may be stigmatized. These individuals whose statuses need not to be disclosed are under the protection and care of the government and various non profit organizations. These beautiful souls are currently on anti-retroviral therapy or ARV treatment, which means that they are on medications to control the viral load or the amount of HIV virus in their system. Im writing this to educate you about these people, including me, to encourage you to reconsider your policy regarding PLHIVs.
The main argument that I would like to highlight is this: When HIV drugs are working well, an HIV positive person may have an undetectable viral load. This means that the amount of virus in the person's
blood is lower than the amount a blood test can measure. It does not mean that the virus is gone or that the person is HIV negative again. A person with an undetectable viral load is less likely to pass on the virus during unprotected sex, but there is still a real risk. Thus, protected sex is a must for both PLHIV and non HIV carriers. HIV is no longer considered a communicable disease, and as the CDC and the WHO would reiterate, it is a highly manageable disease. Putting an X-mark to PLHIVS or the "pozzies" as part of your qualifications may further increase the stigma against HIV positive individuals.
I believe that your acceptance of PHLIVs will deeply strengthen your advocacy in addressing responsible erotic needs of the gay community as it further highlights the need to practice safe sex. Because we are human beings, we interact with each other, and we can support and encourage each other in promoting wellness centers such as the (unnamed) that hopefully may cater to the needs of the entire members of the LGBT community.
We are hoping for your positive response regarding this concern. Please take time carefully re-examine your policies as this may also have an impact to us, PHLIVs.
Thanks!
Have a great day ahead!
Respectfully,
PHAP 322
Questions I have in mind:
1. Does this create division within the LGBT community itself?
2. Does this pose discrimination among the PLHIVS?
3. Aren't we supposed to support and encourage each other as one community?
Please comment below your views regarding this concern. Thanks!
Title: Discrimination or Not?
A wellness center (which will not be named to protect the center itself) will soon open in ILOILO CITY. The center will address "responsible erotic needs" of the gay community. The wellness center has an account on Grindr (a gay social application) which serves as medium for promotion and advertisement of the said soon-to-rise wellness center. Probably the center's main attractions are it's amenities that include different kinds of rooms that offer different kinds recreational services such as a bath house, a restaurant and a bar. In my understanding, the center will only cater to the needs of its members, thus a membership registration is required. One of the requirement is a recent HIV testing result. It was disheartening to know that HIV positive individuals will not be granted membership.
As a concerned member of the PLHIV and LGBT community, I wrote a letter to the administration:
Greetings!
I am an HIV advocate, and for persons living with HIV ( PLHIV), who happen to constitute a portion of the LGBT community and are also those who need acceptance in the community, are, like many others face a much greater discrimination as they may be stigmatized. These individuals whose statuses need not to be disclosed are under the protection and care of the government and various non profit organizations. These beautiful souls are currently on anti-retroviral therapy or ARV treatment, which means that they are on medications to control the viral load or the amount of HIV virus in their system. Im writing this to educate you about these people, including me, to encourage you to reconsider your policy regarding PLHIVs.
The main argument that I would like to highlight is this: When HIV drugs are working well, an HIV positive person may have an undetectable viral load. This means that the amount of virus in the person's
blood is lower than the amount a blood test can measure. It does not mean that the virus is gone or that the person is HIV negative again. A person with an undetectable viral load is less likely to pass on the virus during unprotected sex, but there is still a real risk. Thus, protected sex is a must for both PLHIV and non HIV carriers. HIV is no longer considered a communicable disease, and as the CDC and the WHO would reiterate, it is a highly manageable disease. Putting an X-mark to PLHIVS or the "pozzies" as part of your qualifications may further increase the stigma against HIV positive individuals.
I believe that your acceptance of PHLIVs will deeply strengthen your advocacy in addressing responsible erotic needs of the gay community as it further highlights the need to practice safe sex. Because we are human beings, we interact with each other, and we can support and encourage each other in promoting wellness centers such as the (unnamed) that hopefully may cater to the needs of the entire members of the LGBT community.
We are hoping for your positive response regarding this concern. Please take time carefully re-examine your policies as this may also have an impact to us, PHLIVs.
Thanks!
Have a great day ahead!
Respectfully,
PHAP 322
Questions I have in mind:
1. Does this create division within the LGBT community itself?
2. Does this pose discrimination among the PLHIVS?
3. Aren't we supposed to support and encourage each other as one community?
Please comment below your views regarding this concern. Thanks!