It's been hard to adjust living with HIV at first. I didn't show any signs until I ended up in the hospital with double pneumonia and HIV, I almost died. When I got out of the hospital it definitely was a new outlook on life. With the medication that I am on its been a slow process to Aids from HIV. I am undetectable and can't seem to break the 270 T cell level. Sometimes that is a big disappointment, but I also look how far I have come already. I think what really bothers me is the way people treats people with HIV, specially within our own gay community. I am still the same person deep down and caring. So most people don't know that I am positive, after all I am not sleeping with them. As my doctor once said, now a days HIV is like treating diabetes. You live for years and stay on your medications. So I try to keep a bright outlook...

@A myHIVteam Member. Would you feel the same way about taking a pill daily to control diabetes? Of course not. HIV carries stigma. You don't deserve that stigma. None of us do.

Having diabetes doesn't say anything about your worth as a human being. HIV doesn't either. You don't have control over what others think/ believe. You do have control over the messages you tell yourself. Let go of the stigma.

You have a manageable condition that says nothing negative about you. It's easier to manage than diabetes. You are the same person as you were before HIV.

Mentioned Users

A myHIVte...

The infamous unknowns . Hiv makes you really notice your body and signs that something is not right . Every bump in my neck,every cough etc I think my hiv is out of control. While being a hypochondriac dosent help I have to get use to the fact not everything is hiv related.

I have not had any HIV symptoms ever. So the worst part of HIV for me is having to be Positive all the time. Why can't I be negative, dammit? I so wanna go off on people but have to always grin and bear it.

For me, it's the stigma. This is 2024, not 1984, so I fail to understand why so many people's minds are still suck in the 80's when it comes to HIV.