31 years since testing POZ for AIDS. (HIV was undiscovered). Tested anonymously. There was punitive public talk of terminating employees, evictions, quarantining, etc. By members of BOTH major US parties, and every kind of busybody. Families disowned or denounced sick sons, and widowed partners.

I’m blue collar. At least some of us had a union, but prejudice was everywhere. Fighting it exposed you to all manner of retaliation. It happened to me. More than once. When speaking the truth separates me from employment, it absolutely gives me pause. Family as a whole wasn’t much better … Conflicted about disclosure, but fully at peace with who I am and what illness I carry. Not proud. Not ashamed. It just “is”.

I returned to work the afternoon after testing POZ. I didn’t cry. I was disappointed, but not shocked; many of us would test positive. Many men I knew got sick and within months were gone. A year or two seemed average.

Some very strong people succumbed to AIDS. I have zero vanity about having made it over that first hurdle. LUCK. Followed by years of medical specialists (I’d choose) over the 3 decades that followed.

This is YEARS before HIPA and Poz legal protections. I waited 5 years to present myself for treatment, so as to avoid AZT. Years before Protease cocktails. I took 3TC + D4T, a treatment I “discovered” in a periodical.

We POZ fought off our hateful oppressors (who celebrated our pandemic as “just desserts”) and for treatment & research. GMHC. Being Alive, and other self-help VOLUNTEER organizations … Pressure. Education. Co-option (A young Dr Anthony Fauci) and collaboration.

Surgeon General C Everett Koop, MD, a devoutly religious appointee of Pres Reagan, sent out a pamphlet to every home advising we infected weren’t to be feared or shunned. It was the first public statement I heard that supported our humanity. Reagan didn’t fire him. He also didn’t utter the words “AIDS” as President. That behavior is typical of the era, across the board.

Now I’m a young SENIOR on Medicare. Fit but dealing with some definite old people medical problems.

REALLY grateful to be here. I realize I could have simply given a date of my “AIDS” sero-conversion. LOL.

LOVE to all my POZ bothers & sisters. Thanks to those who stand with us.

Be kind. Fight for others.

Diagnosed with CD4 of 36, viral load of 500,000. That was 2004. I didn't realize I had AIDS, my brother and sister in law took me to urgent care where they referred me immediately to a hospital. I now am undetectable with a CD4 of 400-500. Everyone's CD4 is different. Normal people are around 1200, but as long as you have an undetectable viral load and a stable CD4 count above 200, you're doing pretty good. Stay proactive with your doctor!

2007 aids still here

November 1984. No meds no hope but I said then and now”Hiv will NOT get me” and 38 years and counting I’m going strong. You have to believe in yourself and never give up