What went through your mind when you heard that you tested positive for HIV? It was quite a shock, and the beginning of a very long, very interesting journey with HIV. Two weeks later, I got the results: I tested positive. I decided to get my first HIV test without even really thinking too much about it. It was the early 1980s and word on the street was that there was a new disease that was targeting gay men. Tiko Kerr talks about being diagnosed with HIV in the 80s, becoming a vocal advocate for access to HIV medication and his hopes for the future. Kerr is part of a new documentary, Undetectable, which explores the lives of HIV survivors. It is estimated that approximately 62,050 people in Canada live with HIV. This was an increase over the 1,960 new cases in 2016, or 5.4 new cases per 100,000 Canadians and was the fourth consecutive year that HIV transmission rates had increased.
In 2018, there were approximately 2,242 new cases of HIV in Canada, or six new diagnoses per 100,000 Canadians, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Viral suppression is a key component of UNAIDS goal to eliminate HIV by 2030. New medications can help patients achieve a state of viral suppression, which prevents the transmission of HIV through bodily fluids.
In untreated patients, HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood, semen, or breast milk – not through touch, sharing food, or kissing, according to the WHO. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the body’s immune system. He describes hearing his diagnosis as feeling like it was the end of the world. He had heard that a virus was threatening the health of his community and, wanting to do his part, decided to get tested. Tiko Kerr did not have any symptoms when he received an HIV positive diagnosis in 1985.