Through shared experience, I find community. If it weren’t for HIV, there are so many interesting people I never would’ve met. They’ve added to my life and have made me a better person. My life has been made richer, fuller—and bigger—because of this damned virus. That’s been my life’s lesson.
HIV forced me to go outside of my comfort zone. Having developed Kaposi sarcoma, an AIDS-defining form of skin cancer, I couldn’t hide the lesions on my face and body. If I didn’t have a choice, then I might as well face the stigma head on. It was a practical decision; if I wasn’t going to become another “victim” of AIDS, I was not going to let myself fall victim to stigma.
Taking that step forward opened up my world and introduced me to new people, which gave me hope. I started learning about the science of HIV treatment and how HIV works.
I also discovered that I was interested in other people who were also living with, or affected by, HIV. If you care about your own survival, if you want to end HIV, I realized that you have to care about people with HIV.
Looking through the pictures in this issue from A Day with HIV, our annual anti-stigma campaign, I hope you’ll be as inspired as I am. The campaign displays pictures all taken on the same day—the first day of fall, September 22—by people living with and affected by HIV. In this collection of images, see a broad tapestry with HIV as the common thread until you realize that this isn’t about a virus. A Day with HIV is about individuals, all of us, and how we are linked by our common humanity, regardless of HIV status. The special section of pictures begins with an introductory story (click here).
Elsewhere in this issue, Justin Terry-Smith talks candidly with Mark S. King about his harrowing experience in how he acquired HIV and his journey of recovery and self-acceptance in “The echoes of sexual assault”. A personal note of deep appreciation to Justin for choosing to share his story in the hopes that it will reach readers who’ve lived through similar experiences.
Scott Schoettes, who writes PA’s occasional Poz Advocate legal column, is one of the lead attorneys in a major court case to force the U.S. Department of Defense to stop discriminating against people living with HIV enlisting and serving in the military. He shares his experience and insight in the continuing battle, which as we go to press, could see a new development in the case.
There were a number of findings and developments announced at October’s IDWeek 2024 infectious disease medical conference in Los Angeles. Contributing writer Larry Buhl attended the conference and provides an overview. He also takes a closer look at an IDWeek session about how care providers can offer better health outcomes for patients who use methamphetamine (Managing substance use disorders and HIV) and outlines vaccine guidelines for people living with HIV (Vaccine recommendations for PLWH).
My life has been made richer, fuller—and bigger—because of this damned virus. That’s been my life’s lesson.
Our report on the closing plenary session of last September’s U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS (known as USCHA), which focused on HIV efforts in Latinx communities, highlights the need for a renewed commitment.
“It’s nice that we see each other every year at this conference, but when each one of us goes back to our towns, we don’t hear [from anyone],” says Areley Westley, an immigrant and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate originally from Honduras. “We need to stay connected and to actually be in solidarity with each other in order to build power. We can build power together.”
The report can be found here and is followed by a Spanish-language version as part of PA’s continuing effort each issue to engage readers for whom Spanish may be their primary language.
I always say that POSITIVELY AWARE sells a product—hope, in the form of news, information and the sharing of people’s stories with HIV. It’s my hope that that’s what you find in this issue.
You are not alone.