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My partner has been living with it since 1992. He's told me stories about when he found out, and he's never really tried to hide it. He always tries to be positive with everything. He kind of wears it as a badge of honor for beating pneumonia 7 times. He has the strongest will of any person I personally know. He lost a lot of friends because they couldn't stand the side effects of the early drugs. He's been undetectable for over 15 years. He gets sick less often than I do, and I'm HIV negative.
This is a great article. Described perfectly how I felt when I found out, I was positive. All the emotions I went through and felt. Knowing how people still feel about someone that has HIV. There still is such a Stigma about it. You hit the nail on the head with this article. Thank You. If only people could come together instead of being so negative about things like this. Education is the key to help people understand. In reading the comments people post their ages. I am 70 positive since 60.
Being infected in 1989 with a blood transfusion after surgery or during surgery I'm possibly one of the oldest living people in this country with HIV I was one of the first recipients of the three drug cocktail in 1994 well as May of 95 living in Wheeling West Virginia I'm in the survival calendar done in 1996 Harold Holmes so I continue to work full-time I have a very fortunate life and I would be willing to speak or do any type of interview needed to share my life story thank you so much
Ok I am 62 year old gay man and also HIV negative. Shaming and blaming is not the point? However when did not knowing about HIV and the fact people still are being infected and this is acceptable? How can a disease that has been here for longer then he has been alive be an issue for people today being diagnosed as having HIV? I DONT GET 20,30 AND 40 YEAR OLDS COMPLAINING ABOUT STIGMA FROM A DISEASE THAT HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE BEFOE THEY WERE BORN??? MY generation died because it wasn't curable
HIV stigma is also very alive in the adult film industry. I started in the industry 13 years ago being HIV-. After converting, I lost all work for trans, bisexual and straight companies. And a lot of men in gay porn still don’t take prep because they stick to their own status, which has still costed me work in recent years. If anything, porn teaches people a lot about their own sexuality. And HIV stigma should be something we should be the leaders on breaking. But no.
Been poz 35 years here and Undetectable for many years now. Have been around many ASO and volunteered for years . When PREP was first introduced was hopeful it might help end STIGMA it hasn’t. I now see men on GRINDR etc… Saying there on PREP when they are actually poz undetectable. Reason being absolutely no STIGMA attached to PREP. When law makers in the USA banned people who were poz from entering the USA for 20 years who live in other countries . Decriminalize being HIV End Stigma
I’m so grateful for articles like this. The world was a different place when I was diagnosed in 1988, after having been infected sometime between 1982 and 1985. The echoing memories of those early years of AIDS came screaming back at me as COVID ravaged our lives in 2020. I don’t know how or why I’ve survived this long, but if there’s any way I can help to reduce the ongoing fear & stigma of HIV I will do what I can.
Undetectable
I rarely hear about HIV fears from straight friends, but I still hear negative comments in the gay community. This includes not wanting to date or hook up with someone who is HIV positive, even if the other person is on prep. I've also had a few odd experiences where a health provider or dentist asked how I contracted HIV. Some people just don't get the message, no matter how much it's put out there.
December 23, 2024 • Los Angeles