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Lake County Endorses "Undetectable
Equals Untransmittable” (U=U) Consensus Statement
Waukegan, Ill.
— This month, the Lake
County Board approved a resolution
endorsing the "Undetectable Equals Untransmittable" (U=U) Consensus Statement
issued by the Prevention Access Campaign. This international health equity
initiative aims to end the dual epidemics of HIV and HIV-related stigma, and this
resolution affirms Lake County’s commitment to dismantle HIV stigma and
barriers to diagnosis and treatment for people living with HIV.
“Scientific evidence
shows that people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) with an
undetectable viral load in their blood do not transmit HIV to their sexual
partners,” stated Mark Pfister, Executive Director of the Lake County Health
Department and Community Health Center. “By amplifying the U=U message, we can make
new HIV infections a thing of the past.”
Reducing HIV
stigma encourages those living with HIV to initiate and adhere to a successful treatment
regimen, closely monitor their viral load, and stay in regular medical care. For
those people who are not infected with HIV, the HIV prevention pill,
pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), reduces the risk of becoming infected with HIV
by more than 90 percent.
The Health
Department is part of the Illinois Getting to Zero initiative, which aims to
see zero new HIV infections in Illinois and zero people living with HIV who are
not on treatment by 2030.
Ann
Maine, Lake County Board Member (Dist. 21) and Lake County Board of
Health member, said, “The Lake County Board is committed to building healthy
and resilient communities and that includes changing the narrative about people
with HIV and HIV prevention, as well as around mental health and addiction. By
bringing attention to these issues and raising awareness, we will make a
difference.”
To prevent new
HIV infections in Lake County, the Health Department’s Need2Know Lake County
program assists clients with:
- HIV testing;
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Medical benefits navigation;
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ART and PrEP medication;
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Adherence counseling; and
- Linkage to other health services such as HIV and
general medical care, behavioral health services, and mental health counseling.
Residents seeking more
information about HIV testing, treatment, and prevention may reach Need2Know
Lake County by calling (847) 377-8450.
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