Pandemics have psychosocial and sociocultural burdens

Living with HIV has changed substantially across the HIV pandemic. Some people would say that in many countries, treatment as prevention (ie, the use of antiretrovirals for treatment and prevention of HIV) has democratised the management of HIV across communities of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and the undetectable=untransmittable concept reduces the need for HIV status disclosure. At this level, it appears that everything is changing for the better and the global community could hope that the psychosocial burden of living with HIV is dissipating. However, in The Lancet HIV, Ward van Bilsen and colleagues1 show this expectation is not the case and the negative psychosocial sequalae of HIV sadly endure. Should we really be surprised?