Recognising The Work Of Hans Berlin On World AIDS Day
FEATURED: Hans Berlin | Instagram | DNA Feature
December 1 is World AIDS Day and it’s important we take advantage of this day to celebrate the progress we’ve made and remember to keep the momentum going.
Thanks to medical science, (thank you, Science!) we have HIV treatment drugs that prevent people from becoming unwell and other drugs that prevent the transmission of HIV altogether. Ending the transmission of HIV is only one part of the story though. We need to establish ways to combat the HIV/AIDS stigma that still permeates wider society and remember that Undetectable=Untransmittable!
This is where we meet Hans Berlin. Hans, also known as Florian Klein, is an adult performer, actor, writer and producer. What’s most notable here is that he’s also an HIV activist. He’s using his platform as an adult entertainer to bring awareness to the U=U campaign and stop HIV stigma in its place, all while looking sexy! Hans was featured in our Making A Difference issue in DNA #286 as a change-maker.
Undetectable=Untransmissable
What do we mean when we say undetectable=untransmittable (U=U)? The life-saving medication known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) was introduced in the mid 2010s and works effectively to prevent the transmission of HIV. If an individual has contracted HIV, they are able to take PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) which makes the virus in their body undetectable, and therefore makes it untransmittable.
Hans is one of the most vocal advocates for this message. He has been working for years on different projects including indie films, plays, tv series and creating content for his OnlyFans. Over 50, openly HIV-positive and sexier than ever, he remains one of the biggest names in the evolving adult entertainment world.
Hans talks about how working in the porn industry he’s been able to watch as the studios and the culture has evolved around PrEP. “I started in 2012 with condom-only scenes,” he says, “that was the standard then. When the effectiveness of PrEP became known, some studios, like Lucas Entertainment, left the condoms in the drawer and switched to bareback. At first, they were shunned by the industry.”
Hans was one of the first people in the industry to openly declare his HIV-positive status and, in doing so, he opened the door for others to declare their status. “I realised porn gives me a voice to do good, so I became a role model for U=U and TasP (Treatment As Prevention) for the German AIDS Foundation, and in person at events all over Germany,” he says.
“It makes me feel good to help and the response has been great. I mean, who better to give safer sex advice than an actual sex worker?”
Being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community comes with its own unique set of challenges. Living in a world that still reels from the HIV/AIDS crisis is one of them. But on days like World AIDS Day, we must look to role models like Hans and remember how crucial it is that we continue breaking the stigma that does more harm than good for HIV-positive people.
“Because I’m not hiding anymore, and came out of the HIV closet, I can show that a positive test result isn’t the end of the world,” says Hans. “You can still have a happy, healthy and fulfilled life, and still look as amazing as I do, all thanks to modern medicine.”
Read more about Hans Berlin and his HIV advocacy work in DNA #286 – Making A Difference.
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