Susan, age 54 | New York, USA
I guess I don’t even think about it too much anymore. In the first few years? Like, almost 24/7, it was something that was on my mind: am I gonna be around for my kids? …
Isolation
Hope, age 62 | Francistown, Botswana
I was working with a family, and somebody had some kind of blisters that week. I was in Australia then. I was away from home, …
Bob, age 69 | Warkworth, Canada
HIV is the kind of thing you can’t really understand until you experience it, because remember, in those days we’re talking about, it was a death sentence. And since then, …
Proscovia, age 55 | Tororo, Uganda
For a long time, I have been working with the media. I have been writing my stories, and that’s how I’ve been getting support. …
Charlie, age 58 | Auckland, New Zealand
People were just dying in ’83 and ’84. All my friends were dying around me, and then a very good friend of mine was diagnosed with it in ’84. …
Recurring Themes – How It Feels
Many diseases and infections affect a specific part of the body, but HIV lives in the immune system and therefore ultimately impacts the whole body. While health care providers are …
Recurring Themes – Communication
Communicating about HIV and risk behaviors related to sex or substance use can be difficult. Even when they know how to keep themselves safe, …
Recurring Themes – Stigma
Dealing with any illness can be difficult, but the stigma associated with certain diseases can add additional hardship in the form of judgment and social exclusion. …