The stigma is still very real. While I have been blessed to encounter a lot of educated people, there is still much more work to do. The stigma can bring you down but also motivate you to make change. But HIV does not discriminate based on your upbringing, race, status, title—or anything. It took a while, but being open and honest about my status became important to me. It was more difficult than coming out of the closet.
It is a different process for each person. Life with HIV is all I have known since age 26. And through the years, I’ve learned a lot about people and life and society. The discrimination and misunderstanding surrounding HIV even to this day is troubling and makes me question the goodness of society. After years of living in self-hate and depression, I realized that I was always going to be me. But I wouldn’t let HIV define my life anymore.
But the journey does get better. It gets easier. Life will feel normal again. But for many people, shame, hate and anger remain. I’m sharing my story so hopefully others won’t have to feel that way.