NEW DELHI -- Gautam Yadav, an advocate for gay rights in India, was barely 18 when he tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The infection weakened his immune system, requiring immediate treatment. On top of fears for his health, he had to confront misunderstandings and discrimination that persist to this day.
"Sometimes I get random messages on dating applications and people accuse me of being a spreader," said Yadav, now 28. "When I tell them that I am on ART [antiretroviral therapy] treatment and I am undetectable, they block me." According to the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, people living with HIV who are medicated and maintain an undetectable viral load "have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus."
