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 […]
North America
Jesse, age 59 | Ellicot City, Maryland, USA
I was aware that I was likely positive. My late partner died of AIDS in 1985, and I am very
Jesus, age 56 | Mexico & California, USA
I arrived to USA in 1984. I knew what started to be in the news, everything about the gay cancer
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
Ron, age 50 | District of Columbia, USA
I was a closeted gay man working in international development. I had been a Peace Corps volunteer and was going
Ron, age 66 | District of Columbia, USA
I was suicidal when I was thirteen. Because I was gay, or “sissy” as they used to say in those
Olive, age 53 | Saint Catherine, Jamaica
I actually don’t do “My Story.” I don’t do testimonies. People like other people’s business, so it’s not what I
Dave, 68 | California, USA
We got kicked out of our church. We got kicked out of our small group. The pastor was in visiting
Deloris, age 54 | New Jersey, “Jamerican” (USA & Jamaica)
I am very fortunate. I’ve been able to educate myself to the graduate level. I hold down a really decent
Art, age 62 | Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation, Anishnawbe / Toronto, Canada
I’m 62 now, but I came out when I was 26. So it was quite late. And back then, being
Doris, age 58 & Randy, age 48 | Canada
Doris: I was caught up in my addictions, and I thought the weight loss was connected to my
Claire, age 55 | San Francisco, CA, USA
I just remember being very naïve, you know, and people would tell me to do something, and I would do
Hazel, age 54 | San Francisco, CA, USA
Getting older is like, um… Things are happening with my body that I don’t like. You know, my mind is
Robert, age 62 | Medicine Hat, Canada
I was born in Louisville, Kentucky. I moved to Montreal, Canada, and lived for some 15 years in Germany, and
Lorena, age 52 | New York, USA & Mexico
Al principio– sí, mucho rechazo. Primero porque era transex– soy transgénera, mujer transexual. Y luego el VIH, luego no saber
Andrea, age “51 and a half” & Edward, age 55 | New York, USA
Edward: She used to follow me around all the time. I was 15, she was 11, so I looked at
Charlene, age 54 | Texas, USA
I always knew that there would be a possibility. I had some friends that passed away. I was a intravenous
Ron, age 59 & Milagros, age 47 | Tennessee, USA
Ron: I found out my status when I was incarcerated, as a result of seeing a dentist. The
Flor, age 60 | Mexico City, Mexico
Me quité eso de que: “Porque Dios me castigó? Porque…?” De estarme martirizando, porque pensaba yo que Dios me había
Bryan, age 52 | Ohio, USA
I’ve had cancer three times, I had stage four cancer. I’ve been through a lot. Every day is a bad
Bob, age 59 and Ann, age “over 50” | Arkansas, USA
Ann: I kept it a secret for a decade that I was positive. It would have cost me
Margot, age 59 | Maryland, USA
Getting old is a bitch. You go to bed feeling one way, and you wake up and it’s something else.
Barbara, age 55 | Florida, USA
I thought I might want to have a baby and I was 43, and I knew I would have to
Jack, age 60 | Maryland, USA
I learned how to ride a motorcycle, and to get my motorcycle license I had to bring my motorcycle back
Barb, age 58 | West Virginia, USA
It has totally changed my life. Before, I was a free spirit and, you know, loved to date. I still
Derani, age 50 | New York, USA
My mother was scared of me. I was cooking, and I cut myself – ‘cause I was always the cook
Wanda, age 58 | North Carolina, USA
When you’re going through menopause, and you’re a seasoned woman, and you’ve been through three really serious relationships and the
C. Bruce, age 63 | Texas, USA
I would like to be able to tell what is AIDS, and what is aging. That would be really wonderful,
Fredricka, age 50 | California, USA
I sort of don’t have a person that I can say, “Just take care of me.” When I know I
Ron, age 66 | Washington, D.C., USA
I became openly positive to many of my friends and my family first, and then as I became more comfortable,
Guy, age 55 | Calgary, Canada
I believe some people are born with their glass half full, and some are born with their glass half empty,
Pat, age 57 | South Carolina, USA
In 1985, I was incarcerated at the women’s correctional institution in Columbia, South Carolina. And during intake they take your
Sharon, age 62 | Ohio, USA
The doctor said, “You’ve tested positive for HIV, it must be wrong. Come in Monday, we’ll retest you.” I think,
Steve, age 58 | Maryland, USA
It’s not so much that I fear that I’ll die with HIV or AIDS, ‘cause I don’t think that’s gonna
Sister Vicious Power Hungry Bitch, age 60 | California, USA
In San Francisco, it was the community that had to come up with creative ways to deal with all of
Scott, age 61 | New York, USA
Back in the ‘80s when I found out I was positive, I was just hoping to get to see my
Anna, age 65 | Maryland, USA
Initially, a lot of responses were: are you angry? You know, even my grandson expressed that he was mad. But
José, age 60 | San Juan, Puerto Rico
I think that we’re not a priority in the health system. They are thinking more in the young person. We
Gregg, age 52 & Ruth, age 54 | Virginia, USA
Ruth: Through my sobriety process I started feeling better about myself, started looking better, and I was like, okay, now
Liz, age 57 | West Coast First Nations, Canada
I’ve been doing a lot of healing through my culture and traditions…It actually came by accident, when I started attending
Emmanuel, age 61 | Washington, D.C., USA
When I first discovered I was HIV, I started to reflect on my “formative years” as I call them, and